Daniel M. Ziff
Daniel Morton Ziff | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia University (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Investor, heir |
| Known for | Youngest son of media tycoon William Bernard Ziff, Jr.; co-founder of Ziff Brothers Investments |
Daniel Morton Ziff (born 1973) is an American billionaire heir and investor, recognized as the youngest son of media tycoon William Bernard Ziff, Jr. and grandson of William Bernard Ziff Sr. In 1994, he and his two brothers came into possession of the family wealth. As of September 2021, his net worth is approximated at US$5 billion.
Early life
Born in 1973, Ziff is the son of Barbara Ingrid Beitz, an ethnic German whose parents were honored as Righteous among the Nations for their efforts to protect Jews during World War II. His father, William Ziff Jr., was a Jewish American media magnate who expanded the Ziff-Davis publishing empire initiated by William Bernard Ziff Sr., which included magazines such as Popular Aviation, PC Magazine, and Car and Driver.
Ziff completed his secondary education at New York City's Trinity School in 1989, where his father held a trustee position. He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1996.
Career
Following their father's decision to retire and sell 95% of the family enterprise to Forstmann Little for $1.4 billion in 1994, Ziff and his brothers Dirk Edward Ziff and Robert D. Ziff inherited the family fortune. Rather than managing the original company, they founded New York City-based Ziff Brothers Investments, strategically allocating their inheritance across a variety of asset classes including equities, debt instruments, real estate, commodities, private equity, and hedge funds. They also provided initial capital to fund manager Daniel Och, securing a 10% ownership in Och-Ziff Capital Management, which went public in 2007. The trio dissolved Ziff Brothers Investments in 2014 and have since pursued individual investment activities. According to Rob Goldstone, Daniel Ziff simultaneously supported Democratic causes while contributing to the advancement of the Magnitsky Act.
Personal life
Ziff's first marriage was in 2009 to Leslie, who has served on the boards of both the American Ballet Theatre and Rosie's Theater Kids; they later divorced. In 2017, he wed Brianne Garcia Ziff; this marriage also ended in divorce. Most recently, he married Christina Ziff. He is a father to four children.