Art Wrubel
Arthur Wrubel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 |
| Occupation(s) | Investor, private equity specialist |
| Known for | Founder of Wesley Capital Management, minority owner of the Philadelphia 76ers |
Arthur Mitchell Wrubel (born 1965) is an American investor specializing in private equity, the founder of Wesley Capital Management, LLC, and holds a minority stake in the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association.
Early life and education
Born into a Jewish household, Wrubel is the son of Marcia Kay (née Pinkus) and Richard Isaac Wrubel. His family managed the Wrubels department store located in Middletown, Connecticut, an enterprise established by his great-grandparents Regina (née Glasscheib) and Isaac Wrubel. Notably, his great-uncle was the composer Allie Wrubel. He completed his secondary education at Xavier High School in Middletown in 1983 and later obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1987, where he was affiliated with the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.
Career
Wrubel launched his professional journey as an acquisitions associate at JMB Realty in Chicago. In 1993, he transitioned to Dickstein & Co., where his work concentrated on real estate, asset-backed securities, and corporate restructuring projects. His involvement included significant restructurings such as those for Olympia & York, Cadillac Fairview, Rockefeller Center Properties, Bramalea, and Trizec Properties. In 2001, he established Wesley Capital Management, LLC, a hedge fund with a focus on real estate investments.
He is a member of the consortium that purchased the Philadelphia 76ers from Comcast Spectacor for $280 million in 2011. This group is led by managing partner Josh Harris, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, alongside David Blitzer from Blackstone Group—both alumni of Wharton—as well as former NBA executive Jason Levien, ex-CEO of Vail Resorts Adam Aron, Martin J. Geller, David B. Heller, Travis Hennings, James Lassiter, Marc Leder, Michael Rubin, celebrities Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, plus Indonesian entrepreneurs Handy Soetedjo and Erick Thohir. The acquisition was publicly announced in July 2011 and received NBA approval by October 2011.
Additional affiliations and memberships
Wrubel holds advisory roles on several boards including Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and the Jewish Museum in Manhattan. He also contributes to the Wharton Undergraduate Board at the University of Pennsylvania and serves on the advisory board for Maxim Capital Group. Together with his wife, he actively supports the Jonah Maccabee Foundation, which provides funding to organizations dedicated to charitable work, music initiatives, and Jewish causes.
Personal life
He is married to Melanie Bloom.