Jorge M. Pérez

"In America you are judged by what you accomplish… I feel deeply indebted to the United States. While I know there's prejudice and bigotry, I experienced very little or none of that in my career," Jorge M. Pérez told “Forbes” in 2016. He is the co-founder, CEO and chairman of Related Group of Florida, one of the nation’s largest real estate conglomerates. Under Perez’s leadership, the firm has built and managed more than 90,000 apartments and condominiums since its inception in 1979. In 2005, “Time” magazine named Pérez one of the top 25 most influential Hispanics in the U.S and he has received numerous honors for his philanthropic and professional achievements, such as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award and The Developers and Builders Alliance’s Community Advancement Award. An avid art collector, in 2011 he pledged $40 million in cash and artwork over ten years to the Miami Art Museum, which has since been renamed the Perez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County. He has committed to The Giving Pledge, a campaign founded by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, stating his plans to donate half of his wealth to philanthropic causes. Updated 2018