Dirk Edward Ziff
Dirk Edward Ziff | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia University (BA), Harvard University (MBA) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor |
| Known for | Co-founder of Ziff Brothers Investments, early investor in Och-Ziff Capital Management, board member of Robin Hood Foundation, co-owner of World Surf League |
| Spouse | Natasha Bacigalupo |
| Children | 2 |
Dirk Edward Ziff (born 1965) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, recognized as the eldest son of publishing tycoon William Bernard Ziff Jr. and grandson of William Bernard Ziff Sr.. Alongside his two brothers, he inherited the family wealth in 1994.
Early life and education
Ziff was born in 1965 to Barbara Ingrid Beitz, whose parents were acknowledged as "Righteous among the Nations" for their efforts to safeguard Jews during the Second World War. His father, William Ziff Jr., was the architect behind the Ziff-Davis publishing empire, known for magazines such as PC Magazine and Car and Driver.
He completed his secondary education at New York City's Trinity School in 1981, followed by a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1988, and later obtained an MBA from Harvard University.
Career
Following their father's sale of 95% of Ziff-Davis to Forstmann Little for $1.4 billion in 1994, Dirk and his brothers Daniel and Robert inherited the family fortune. Although William Ziff Jr. had planned for his sons to lead the publishing business, they chose not to pursue careers in that industry. Instead, they founded New York-based Ziff Brothers Investments, focusing on a diversified portfolio including equities, fixed income, real estate, commodities, private equity, and hedge funds. A notable investment was their early backing of fund manager Daniel Och, securing a 10% ownership in Och-Ziff Capital Management, which went public in 2007. The siblings dissolved their joint investment firm in 2014 and have since managed their investments separately.
Dirk Ziff was among the original board members who established the philanthropic organization Robin Hood Foundation in 2006. In 2013, ZoSea—an investment entity co-owned by Ziff along with Paul Speaker and Terry Hardy—acquired the Association of Surfing Professionals, which is now known as the World Surf League.
Personal life
Ziff is married to Natasha Bacigalupo, a former journalist for Forbes magazine. The couple lives in North Palm Beach, Florida, and maintain a vacation residence on Martha's Vineyard. They have two children together.
In response to sexual assault allegations involving The Weinstein Company, Ziff stepped down from its board in 2017 alongside Marc Lasry and Tim Sarnoff.
In 2021, he sold his family estate located in Manalapan, Florida for $94 million; initially listed at $200 million back in 2015. The property was subsequently acquired by Jim Clark before being sold to Larry Ellison for $173 million in 2022.