Ben Ashkenazy (born 1969) is an Israeli-American billionaire real estate developer. He is the founder, CEO, and majority owner of Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, which has a $12 billion property portfolio. As of February 2024, his net worth was estimated at US$2.6 billion.[1]
Early life
Ashkenazy was born in Israel, and grew up in Lawrence, Long Island, New York, the son of Izzy Ashkenazy, also a real estate businessman.[2][3] He is of Jewish descent.[4]
Career
Ashkenazy bought his first property at the age of 18.[2][3] He attended night classes at Adelphi University, but did not graduate.[2]
In 1987, he founded Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation.[2]
In 2013, his company bought London's Old Spitalfields Market, but later sold it.[3] In July 2017, the company bought London's Grosvenor House Hotel for about $750 million.[1][3]
His company held a long-term lease agreements in the city of Boston for Faneuil Hall Marketplace and South Station.[5] His company leases Washington DC's Union Station, and has a $70 million stake in New York's Plaza Hotel.[3][6]
In November 2019, his company purchased the 83,923-square-foot Ferndale Shopping Center in Larchmont for a price exceeding $35 million.[7]
Personal life
He is married to Debra Ashkenazy, they have three children, and live on New York City's Fifth Avenue.[1][6][8]
He hired rapper Drake to perform at his daughter's bat mitzvah in the Rainbow Room.[1][3]
Ashkenazy is a minority owner of Euroleague Basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.
References
- Forbes profile: Ben Ashkenazy Forbes, retrieved February 6, 2024^
- Ben Ashkenazy retrieved December 27, 2017^
- New York's Plaza Hotel Is in the Sights of This Shy Billionaire Bloomberg, September 14, 2017, retrieved December 27, 2017^
- The World's Jewish Billionaires Forbes Israel, February 2, 2023^
- Simón Rios. Boston commuters aren't sold on a federal takeover of South Station WBUR, 2025-08-29, retrieved 2025-08-29^
- Does Ashkenazy have an inside track at the Plaza? retrieved December 27, 2017^
- Peter Katz. Ashkenazy buys Ferndale Shopping Center; second in Westchester in two weeks Westfair Communications, November 19, 2019, retrieved March 24, 2020^
- Who's the Boss? December 3, 2002, retrieved December 27, 2017^