Zygi Wilf
| Zygi Wilf | |
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| Born | April 22, 1950 Germany |
| Occupation | Owner, Minnesota Vikings (NFL) |
Zygmunt "Zygi" Wilf (born April 22, 1950) is the principal owner of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Zygi Wilf was born in Germany on April 22, 1950. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Wilf, are both Holocaust survivors from Poland.[2] The Wilf family immigrated to the United States from Europe in the early 1950s and settled in Hillside, New Jersey. After a brief stint as used car salesmen, Joseph and his brother Harry Wilf began purchasing apartment buildings and renting units. Eventually, the brothers began building single-family homes and founded Garden Homes.[3] A successful real estate developer, his two main family-run businesses, Garden Homes and Garden Commercial Properties, have constructed some 25,000 homes in 39 states across the country since 1955; the two entities and their affiliates own and manage 25,000,000 square feet (2,300,000 m2) in retail and business property.[4]
[edit] Education
Zygi Wilf attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, earning a bachelor's degree in economics, and later graduated from New York Law School in Manhattan.
[edit] Career
After working as an attorney, Wilf joined the family business and became head of one of the company's affiliates, Garden Commercial Properties. Wilf has grown the company from four shopping centers in Northern New Jersey to over a hundred properties, including several large malls. In addition to the commercial properties, the Garden companies also owns and manages 30,000 apartment units around the country.
Wilf and five partners purchased the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League from Red McCombs in 2005 for a reported US$600 million.[5] Forbes estimates the 2009 value of the franchise at US$835 million, or 31st of the 32 NFL teams.[6] The team generates about US$200 million in revenue each year.[6]
[edit] Net worth
Celebrity Profile puts Zygi Wilf's Net Worth at $1.3 billion dollars.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ "Front Office". vikings.com. National Football League. http://www.vikings.com/team/staff/zygi-wilf/1d888c6b-40af-4f08-9587-5e8c887262c2. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ Williams, Brandt (2005-05-25). "NFL owners approve Vikings sale to Wilf". Minnesota Public Radio. http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/05/25_williamsb_vikingsale/. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
- ^ http://www.yu.edu/giving/internal.aspx?id=44600
- ^ G.R. Anderson, Jr., Eye of the Beholder, City Pages, January 3, 2007.
- ^ Borzi, Pat (August 19, 2005). "Vikings' Owner Makes a Name for Himself". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/sports/football/19vikings.html. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
- ^ a b "New Vikings stadium proposal: $870M, no pay plan". http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Dec/17/new_vikings_stadium_proposal___870m__no_pay_plan.html. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
- ^ Zygi Wilf Net Worth http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/zygi-wilf-net-worth/
| Preceded by Red McCombs 1998–2005 |
Owner of the Minnesota Vikings 2005–present |
Succeeded by Current |
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- 1950 births
- Fairleigh Dickinson University alumni
- American people of Polish descent
- American lawyers
- German expatriates in the United States
- Jewish American sportspeople
- Living people
- National Football League owners
- New York Law School alumni
- People from Union County, New Jersey
- American people of Polish-Jewish descent
- American real estate businesspeople
- Minnesota Vikings owners
