Robert D. Ziff
Robert D. Ziff | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (BA) Cornell University (JD) |
| Occupation | Investor |
| Known for | Inheritance, Investments |
| Spouse | Michelle Angelic Locher |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Parent(s) | William Bernard Ziff Jr. Barbara Ingrid Beitz |
| Relatives | Dirk Edward Ziff Daniel M. Ziff |
Robert D. Ziff (b. 1967) is an American billionaire investor and the middle child of media tycoon William Bernard Ziff Jr., as well as the grandson of William Bernard Ziff Sr.. Together with his two brothers, he inherited the family wealth in 1994.
Early life and education
Born in 1967, Robert is the son of Barbara Ingrid Beitz, whose parents earned recognition as "Righteous among the Nations" for their efforts to protect Jews during the Second World War. His father, William Ziff Jr., was a Jewish-American media entrepreneur who developed the Ziff-Davis publishing empire, which included prominent magazines such as Popular Aviation, PC Magazine, and Car and Driver.
Robert completed his undergraduate studies in electrical and computer engineering at Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude. He went on to attend Cornell Law School, where he graduated at the top of his class in 1992 and served as editor of the Cornell Law Review. Following law school, he clerked for Chief Judge Monroe G. McKay at the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, then took on the role of vice president for strategic planning at Ziff Communications Company.
Career
In 1994, Robert and his brothers, Dirk and Daniel, came into their inheritance after their father divested 95% of the family business to private equity firm Forstmann Little for $1.4 billion before retiring. Opting not to manage the company themselves, the siblings established New York-based Ziff Brothers Investments to diversify their wealth across various asset classes including equities, debt instruments, real estate, commodities, private equity, and hedge funds. They also provided initial funding to portfolio manager Daniel Och, securing a 10% ownership in Och-Ziff Capital Management, which went public in 2007. The trio disbanded Ziff Brothers Investments in 2014 and now pursue investment activities individually.
Personal life
Robert is married to Michelle Angelic Locher, an attorney and fellow alumna of Cornell Law School. He holds trustee positions at both The Browning School and The IDEAL School of Manhattan. Notably, his wife made a $40,000 contribution to Montana Governor Steve Bullock's political campaign—the second-largest donation following David Gray, a partner and chief legal officer at Ziff Brothers Investments.
Philanthropy and political contributions
In 2008, Robert founded the Robert D. Ziff Professorship of Law at Cornell Law School. He attracted attention in 2011 for financially supporting Republican lawmakers who endorsed marriage equality. In 2017, he established the Robert B. Kent Public Interest Fund at Cornell to honor a former law professor.