Steven F. Udvar-Házy
Steven Udvar-Házy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 Hungary |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, business executive |
| Known for | Executive chairman of Air Lease Corporation; former chairman and CEO of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) |
Steven Ferencz Udvar-Házy (; born 1946), also referred to as István or Steve Hazy, is a Hungarian-American billionaire entrepreneur and the executive chairman of Air Lease Corporation. He formerly held the roles of chairman and CEO at International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), which ranks among the two largest aircraft leasing companies globally alongside AerCap. In 2021, Forbes valued his fortune at approximately US$4 billion.
Early life
The Udvar-Házy family relocated to the United States in 1958, fleeing the Soviet occupation of Hungary. Hazy completed his secondary education at University High School and later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Career
In the 1960s, recognizing the substantial capital demands associated with jet aircraft, Udvar-Házy co-founded ILFC in 1973 along with Leslie Gonda and his son Louis Gonda, initiating operations by leasing a pre-owned Douglas DC-8 to Aeroméxico. After departing ILFC in 2010, he founded Air Lease Corporation. In recognition of his impact on the aviation sector, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán honored him in 2016 with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary.
Philanthropy
Udvar-Házy contributed $66 million to the Smithsonian Institution, facilitating the creation of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center adjacent to Washington Dulles International Airport. This center showcases more than 120 aircraft and 140 space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, with intentions to expand its collection to over 300 aircraft. His family also provided funding for the Christine and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Library and Learning Center located at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott Campus. Moreover, Utah Tech University honors his parents, Erno and Etel Udvar-Házy, by naming its business facility after them.
Personal life
He lives in Beverly Hills, California, with his spouse and their four children.
See also
References
Further reading
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1946 births
- Living people
- American billionaires
- American philanthropists
- Hungarian emigrants to the United States
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- University of California, Los Angeles alumni
- Hungarian billionaires
- Businesspeople from Budapest