Leslie Alexander (businessman)

Leslie Alexander
Born	(1943-06-30) June 30, 1943 New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, entrepreneur, financier
Known for	Owner of the Houston Rockets (1993–2017)

Leslie Lee Alexander (born June 30, 1943) is an American lawyer, entrepreneur, and financier. Originally a bond trader based in New York City, he was the owner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise Houston Rockets for a span of 24 years, from 1993 until 2017.

Early life

Alexander was born in 1943 into a Jewish family in New York City. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from New York University in 1965. Following the death of his father, he left Brooklyn Law School to provide financial support for his mother and subsequently obtained his juris doctor from the San Diego branch of Western State University College of Law, now known as Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Career

Beginning his professional journey as an attorney, Alexander was admitted to the California State Bar, where he remained active from 1978 through 2009. He initially traded options and bonds at Lawrence Kotkin Associates before establishing his own investment firm, The Alexander Group, in 1980. By 2008, he owned an 18.5% share in First Marblehead, a company specializing in private student loans.

In 1993, Alexander acquired the Houston Rockets for $85 million. During his tenure as owner, the Rockets secured consecutive NBA titles in the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons. In recognition of his leadership, Forbes named him the NBA’s top owner in 2008.

In 1998, he sought to purchase and relocate the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers; however, local investors prevented this move. Additionally, Alexander owned the WNBA’s Houston Comets from 1997 until 2007; under his ownership, the team won the league’s first four championships before he sold it a year prior to its dissolution.

Alexander collaborated with Chinese entrepreneur Kenneth Huang in a joint venture focused on investments throughout Asia. In 2006, Huang led a group that acquired a minority interest in the Rockets from Alexander.

On July 17, 2017, Alexander declared that he was putting the Rockets up for sale. By September of that year, he reached an agreement to sell the franchise to Texas businessman Tilman Fertitta for a record-setting $2.2 billion. Prior to finalizing the sale, Alexander renewed contracts for General Manager Daryl Morey and star player James Harden, who signed a $228 million contract extending through the 2022–23 season. He kept possession of the original championship trophies as personal keepsakes while commissioning replicas for display by the team.

Real estate

Alexander is the proprietor of a vineyard located on Long Island and established Leslie Wine in 2008 as part of this venture. He also owns a residence situated in Houston.

In March 2019, he put on the market a French manor-style home in Houston valued at $3.7 million.

Personal life

Alexander finalized his divorce from his wife Nanci (née Shnapier) in 2003, which involved a settlement amounting to $150 million. The couple has one child and two grandchildren.

Although raised in the Jewish faith, Alexander currently identifies as Agnostic. A supporter of the Democratic Party, he has contributed approximately $15,000 to Democratic candidates over two decades. In 2012, he purchased a duplex penthouse at 18 Gramercy Park for around $42 million.

According to Forbes, his net worth was estimated near $1.9 billion in 2024, placing him at #1710 among America’s wealthiest individuals.

On March 27, 2017, Alexander pledged $10 million to support twenty Houston-based charities including the Houston Area Women's Center and Houston Public Library Foundation. He also committed an additional $10 million toward relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey that same year.

Alexander is an advocate for animal welfare and supports a rescue center located in Hampton Bays. In recognition of their philanthropy, he and his former wife were named among the largest individual donors to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 1998. Furthermore, he contributes to a horse sanctuary situated in Middleburg, Virginia.