JORGE PEREZ
The "Condo King" of Miami who built Related Group into the largest Hispanic-owned real estate firm in the US
Built 100,000+ homes and condos across Miami, earning the title "Condo King of Miami" and building Related Group into the largest Hispanic-owned business in the United States. Jorge Perez didn't just build in Miami. He arguably built modern Miami. When you look at that skyline, about a third of it is his.
Net Worth
$4.5 Billion
Nationality
Argentine-American
Time Horizon
Long-Term
Risk Appetite
7 / 10
CAREER & BACKGROUND
Founded Related Group (not to be confused with Related Companies in NYC) in 1979 with a focus on affordable housing in Miami. Pivoted to luxury condominiums in the 1990s and rode Miami's real estate boom.
Has developed over 100,000 residential units and managed $40 billion in real estate development. Related Group built iconic Miami towers including Icon Brickell, St.
Regis Bal Harbour, and Paramount Miami Worldcenter. Survived the 2008 financial crisis — many of his projects were underwater, but he negotiated with lenders and emerged with his company intact.
Now expanding into major developments in West Palm Beach, Tampa, and internationally. His art collection — one of the finest in the US — is housed partly in his buildings and partly donated to the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), renamed in his honor after a $40 million donation.
COMPANIES & ROLES
Related Group (founder and CEO), extensive South Florida development portfolio
INVESTING STYLE & PHILOSOPHY
Develop-and-hold with luxury focus. Perez builds luxury and mixed-income residential towers in growing markets, primarily Miami and South Florida.
His thesis: Miami is becoming a global financial capital, and demand for luxury and workforce housing will grow indefinitely. He develops both condos (sell) and apartments (hold for rental income), creating a balanced revenue model.
THE PLAYBOOK
Risk Approach
High. Real estate development is capital-intensive and cyclical.
The 2008 crash nearly wiped out Related Group — condo prices in Miami dropped 50%+. Perez was personally on the hook for billions in loans.
He survived through negotiation and determination, but the experience showed how thin the margins can be when leverage meets a housing crash.
Money Habits
Lives in Miami — in one of his own buildings, naturally. Has one of the most significant private art collections in the US — focuses on Latin American contemporary art.
The Perez Art Museum Miami was renamed after his $40 million donation. Known for being deeply embedded in Miami's social and cultural fabric.
BIGGEST WIN
Riding the Miami boom. Related Group timed Miami's transformation from a regional city to a global luxury destination almost perfectly.
The company's luxury towers are now synonymous with Miami's skyline. The post-2020 migration wave — with wealthy Americans fleeing high-tax states for Florida — has been enormously beneficial for Related's portfolio.
BIGGEST MISTAKE
The 2008 crash. Related Group was building aggressively when the housing market collapsed.
Condo values plummeted, buyers walked away from deposits, and lenders called loans. Perez was reportedly close to personal bankruptcy.
He survived, but it took years to recover, and the experience left scars. Some developments sat empty for years before the market returned.
FINANCIAL PHILOSOPHY
Build where the people are going, not where they've been. Perez anticipated Miami's rise as a global city decades before it was conventional wisdom.
His philosophy: real estate is fundamentally about demographics and migration patterns. If you can predict where wealthy people will move, you can build for them before they arrive.
FAMILY & PERSONAL LIFE
Born in Argentina, raised in Colombia, and educated in the United States. Married to Darlene Perez.
Has children. His Latin American heritage is central to his identity and business relationships.
Active in Hispanic business organizations and philanthropy.
EDUCATION
University of Michigan (BA), University of Michigan (Master of Urban Planning). His urban planning background gave him a unique perspective on how cities develop — most real estate developers come from finance, not city planning.
BOOKS & RESOURCES
Covers the Related Group story and Miami's real estate transformation
The Miami development world they both operated in. The Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) catalog documents one of the finest Latin American contemporary art collections, reflecting his dual passion for development and art
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QUOTES (6)
Miami is becoming a global financial capital. I've been saying that for 30 years. Now everyone agrees.
Real estate is about demographics and migration. Predict where wealthy people will move, and build for them.
I built 100,000 homes in Miami. When you look at that skyline, about a third of it is mine.
The 2008 crash nearly killed me. I owed billions. But I negotiated, survived, and came back stronger.
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