Jeff Greene

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For the Curb Your Enthusiasm character, see Jeff Greene (character). For other people named Jeff Green, see Jeff Green (disambiguation).
Jeff Greene
Jeff Greene and Mary Callahan Erdoes (15751018974) (cropped).jpg
Born (1954-12-10) December 10, 1954 (age 67)
Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationJohns Hopkins University (BA)
Harvard University (MBA)
OccupationReal estate entrepreneur
Political partyDemocratic
Republican (former)
Spouse(s)Mei Sze Chan
Children3

Jeff Greene (born December 10, 1954) is an American real estate entrepreneur. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was a candidate in the 2010 Senate election primaries in Florida.[2] He was a candidate in the 2018 Florida Gubernatorial election, but was eliminated in the primary, finishing in fourth place behind eventual nominee Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, whom Greene later endorsed.[3]

Early life[]

Greene was born in 1954 in Worcester, Massachusetts to a working class Jewish family.[4]

He graduated from Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester[5] after his family moved to Florida in 1970 when his father lost his business, staying with his great-aunt while he finished school.[6][7] In Florida, his father worked refilling vending machines and his mother worked as a waitress.[8]

Greene worked many jobs to put himself through college at Johns Hopkins University, graduating in three years with a B.A. in economics and sociology. Later he attended Harvard Business School, where he earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 1977.[9] Greene lived in Southern California in the 1980s and 1990s and ran in the 1982 Republican primary for the 23rd Congressional District race. Greene lost the primary to David Armor who then lost to incumbent Democrat Anthony C. Beilenson.[10]

Career[]

Greene began investing in real estate while in business school, and built a successful real estate business from being a busboy at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.[11] In mid-2006, Greene, worried about the possible collapse of the real estate market, spoke with John Paulson, a fellow investor who discussed with Greene his investing strategy. They agreed that the real estate market was unstable and a bubble might be forming in housing. After the meeting, Greene engaged in a similar investing strategy to that of Paulson, which involved a series of unconventional investments trading credit default swaps. The return on Greene's investments ultimately saved his business, and put him on Forbes 400 list.[9]

2010 US Senate campaign[]

Main article: United States Senate election in Florida, 2010

On April 30, 2010, Greene announced his intention to run as a Democrat for the United States Senate seat held by George LeMieux, saying, "I am an outsider, the only candidate who isn't a career politician. I've succeeded in the real world of hard work – the others have only succeeded at running for political office after office."[12]

Greene stated he would refuse campaign contributions from special interests, and would limit individual donations to $100.[13] His platform focused on economic reforms and job creation.[13]

Greene introduced his story and his campaign with a sixty-second video on YouTube. Greene's campaign was endorsed by the Tallahassee Democrat's editorial board. The board commended Greene for his "edge and an energy that make him want to push beyond the usual talking points", remarking, "we like the toughness he would bring to the office".[14]

Greene's attempt to win the Democratic nomination was, however, unsuccessful; Rep. Kendrick Meek won the primary election before losing to Republican Marco Rubio in the November general election.

Personal life[]

In 2007, Greene married Chinese Australian real estate executive Mei Sze Chan, who is twenty years his junior in age.[15][16] Chan was an ethnic Chinese refugee from Malaysia who first fled to Australia with her family before heading to New York City after college.[17] In 2009, she gave birth to their first child, Malcolm.[18] Greene and his wife now have three sons and live in Palm Beach.[19] Greene was quoted as saying, "I just wish I had met Mei Sze 20 years ago".[15][17]

In February 2011, Greene became a signatory of The Giving Pledge.[20]

References[]

  1. ^ "Jeff Greene". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  2. ^ Bennett, George (2010-04-30). "Palm Beach billionaire to file as Democrat for U.S. Senate race". The Palm Beach Post. Cox Media. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  3. ^ Rohrer, Gray. "Jeff Greene enters crowded Democratic governor's race". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  4. ^ Forbes: The Reluctant Billionaire by Susan Kitchens September 11, 2008
  5. ^ Cohan, Peter (April 23, 2017). "Wall & Main: Multibillionaire Jeff Greene, Worcester native, sees economic trouble ahead". Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Clarke, Katherine (October 1, 2013). "Jeff Greene". The Real Deal. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  7. ^ Mason, Annah (January 2009). "A Billion in Greene". Equities Magazine. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  8. ^ Dorschner, John (2009-12-07). "Wall Street's losses were businessman's gain". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  9. ^ a b Kitchens, Susan (2008-10-06). "The Reluctant Billionaire". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  10. ^ Reinhard, Beth (June 17, 2010). "Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene first ran for Congress as a Reagan Republican". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  11. ^ Wells, Jane (2008-02-29). "Real Estate Mogul Jeff Greene: The Man Who Shorted Subprime". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  12. ^ Greene, Jeff (2010-04-29). "Jeff Greene for Florida". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  13. ^ a b Smith, Adam; Beth Reinhard (2010-05-01). "Billionaire Democrat Jeff Greene jumps into Florida Senate race". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  14. ^ Tallahassee Democrat endorsement of Jeff Greene
  15. ^ a b Horowitz, Jason (June 25, 2010). "Jeff Greene touts business savvy, outsider status in run for U.S. Senate seat". Washington Post. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  16. ^ Wall Street Journal: "In Beverly Hills, A Meltdown Mogul Is Living Large" By JONATHAN KARP January 15, 2008
  17. ^ a b Sipher, Devan; Navarro, Mireya (2007-11-04). "Mei Sze Chan and Jeff Greene". The New York Times.
  18. ^ Tampa Bay Times: "The women behind the men who would be Florida's senator" By Cristina Silva Archived 2013-04-24 at the Wayback Machine August 1, 2010
  19. ^ Miller, Kimberley (2010-04-23). "Monday Meeting with Jeff Greene, founder of Florida Sunshine Investments". The Palm Beach Post. Cox Media. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  20. ^ "Greene signs The Giving Pledge" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2011-02-25.

External links[]

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