David Nazarian
David Nazarian | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961 Iran |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Nîmes Capital; philanthropist; early investor in Qualcomm |
David Nazarian is a prominent American entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist.
Early life
Approximately born in 1961 in Iran, David Nazarian is the son of businessman and philanthropist Younes Nazarian and Soraya Nazarian. His paternal uncle, Izak Parviz Nazarian, was also a distinguished figure in business and philanthropy. The family relocated to the United States amid the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Nazarian completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at California State University, Northridge in 1982, followed by an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business.
Career
As founder and CEO of Nîmes Capital, Nazarian leads an investment firm with diverse interests. He and his family were among the earliest significant investors in Qualcomm after a 1988 merger deal. During the 1990s, he acquired properties from the Resolution Trust Corporation, and in the early 2000s, he purchased hotel assets which he later sold at a profit by 2008. His ventures also include launching funds focused on wireless technology, broadband, and clean energy sectors.
In 2012, Nîmes Capital took ownership of TD Food Group, overseeing Pizza Hut and Taco Bell franchises across Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan, acquiring it from Brentwood Associates. This business was sold in 2017 to Restaurant Brands New Zealand for nearly $105 million.
Nazarian broadened his portfolio in 2018 by investing in mid-sized operating companies and real estate projects centered on multi-family housing, student accommodations, and hotel properties. By 2021, Nîmes Real Estate, under Nazarian Enterprises, had successfully completed acquisitions totaling $1 billion.
Philanthropy
He holds a position on the board of governors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and chairs the investment committee for the UCLA Foundation, where he also serves as a board member. Furthermore, he participates on leadership boards for both the USC Marshall School of Business and the Harvard Graduate School Leadership Institute.
Together with his wife, he established the David and Angella Nazarian Youth Leadership Program at Sinai Temple, aimed at fostering leadership skills among high school students. In 2014, their philanthropic efforts supporting Jewish causes and pro-Israel initiatives benefiting students at multiple Los Angeles colleges were honored by Hillel 818. They also founded the Angella and David Nazarian Social Innovators in Residence program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In that same year, Nazarian contributed $10 million to his alma mater CSUN and spearheaded a campaign to raise an additional $15 million. As a result, the CSUN David Nazarian College of Business and Economics was named to recognize his generosity. Additionally, he served on the leadership board of the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation.
Personal life
David Nazarian is married to Angella Maddahi, who is known as a former academic, author of non-fiction works, conference organizer, and philanthropist. The couple has two sons.
Awards
In 2018, both David and Angella Nazarian were honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an award recognizing American citizens who demonstrate outstanding community service, preserve cultural heritage, embrace American ideals, and contribute positively to society.
External links
- Living people
- American billionaires
- American chief executives
- American company founders
- American construction businesspeople
- American manufacturing businesspeople
- American people of Iranian-Jewish descent
- American transportation businesspeople
- American venture capitalists
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- California State University, Northridge alumni
- Conservative Jews
- Iranian emigrants to the United States
- Iranian Jews
- Marshall School of Business alumni
- Nazarian family
- Businesspeople from Tehran
- Businesspeople from Beverly Hills, California
- Philanthropists from California
- Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in the United States
- 1961 births