Micky Arison: What Makes Him Haute This Carnival Corporation chairman and CEO took control of the Miami Heat in 1995 and guided the franchise to its first NBA championship in 2006.
The power couples, the billionaires, the entrepreneurs, the philanthropists, the thinkers, and the entertainers: the Haute 100 provides a thorough cross section of the people who run the Magic City.
Leonard Abess Jr.
Category Philanthropists
Company City National Bank of Florida
Industry Banking
What Makes Him Haute This CEO of City National Bank of Florida restored hope for the American employee with his unprecedented generous gesture. After selling his majority stake for $60 million, he donated his windfall to individual tellers, bookkeepers, clerks, and every other staffer on the payroll and was rewarded with presidential recognition.
S. Daniel Abraham
Category Billionaires
Company Slim-Fast
Industry Food
What Makes Him Haute He saved American waistlines with the founding of Slim-Fast in 1976 and has since spent his time trying to save the Middle East through his nonprofit, Center for Middle East Peace & Economic Cooperation.
Louis Aguirre
Category Entertainers
Company Deco Drive
Industry Television
What Makes Him Haute Thanks to his position as host of Channel 7’s local entertainment show Deco Drive, Miami-native Aguirre is a familiar face at society events across South Florida. With his creative reporting style, he provides those not-in-the-know with a glimpse at the good life of the other Haute 100ers.
Karim Alibhai
Category Originators
Company Gencom
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute The founder of Gencom Group has since made it a leader in domestic and international real estate. Since 1987, the company has led successful hotel ventures, including a $500 million, three-way merger back in 1997 that resulted in the creation of Wyndham. Gencom owns several Ritz-Carltons across the country, including the stunning hotel and residences on Key Biscayne. He is now preparing for the launch of the exclusive Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand.
Edmund Ansin
Category Billionaires
Company Sunbeam Broadcasting
Industry Media
What Makes Him Haute Heir to his family’s shoemaking fortune, Ansin joined his father in buying a Miami television station for $3.4 million in 1962. Sunbeam operates local Fox affiliate WSVN. His net worth is now measured in billions. His son Andrew runs Sunbeam real estate division, which owns more than 4 million square feet of commercial, industrial space, much of it in Broward County. Ed is a big donor to philanthropic groups such as United Way and Habitat for Humanity.
Micky Arison
Category Billionaires
Company Carnival Corporation, Miami Heat
Industry Cruise
What Makes Him Haute This Carnival Corporation chairman and CEO took control of the Miami Heat in 1995 and guided the franchise to its first NBA championship in 2006.
Adrienne Arsht
Category Philanthropists
Company TotalBank
Industry Banking
What Makes Her Haute She made headlines in 2008 when she pledged $30 million to Miami’s Performing Arts Center, thereby renaming it the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. Her success as the chairman of TotalBank allowed for such a generous, philanthropic gesture.
Michael Bay
Category Entertainers
Company Bay Films
Industry Film
What Makes Him Haute He is one of Hollywood’s most bankable directors, producing action flicks that put him in the limelight and in the black, with ticket sales hitting the $3 billion mark. Bad Boys, Pearl Harbor, and Transformers are among his list of credits. His North Bay Road home in Miami Beach provides a much-needed sanctuary for the director, who is always on the go.
Mehmet Bayraktar
Category Originators
Company Flagstone Group
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute The Turkish mega mogul is planning on transforming the priceless Watson Island into a sophisticated hotel and residence enclave, complete with the region’s first megayacht harbor. The $600 million Island Gardens is set to be one of the largest waterfront developments in the world.
Roy & Lea Black
Category Power Couples
Company Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, P.A.
Industry Law / Philanthropy
What Makes Them Haute He made a name for himself as one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country, representing superstar athletes, political pundits, and Hollywood celebrities. She is the powerhouse fundraiser for Bay Point Schools, one of Florida’s award-winning boarding schools for at-risk adolescent boys. Together they fight for social justice through their annual charity gala, which has raised more than $10 million for Bay Point Schools and the Consequences Program.
Norman Braman
Category Billionaires
Company Braman Enterprises
Industry Automobile
What Makes Him Haute Former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, this owner of multiple Florida car dealerships made it onto The Forbes 400 in late 2008, in part because of his estimated $1 billion art collection.
Jonathan Breene
Category Entrepreneurs
Company The Setai
Industry Hospitality
What Makes Him Haute When Breene’s Setai opened, it established a while new benchmark for luxury in South Beach with European-style 5-star service and unmatched, inimitable décor.
Nancy Brinker
Category Philanthropists
Company Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Industry Philanthropy
What Makes Her Haute After completing her terms as U.S. ambassador to Hungary and U.S. chief of protocol, the phenom fundraiser is returning to lead the nonprofit that she founded in memory of her sister. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is America’s No. 1 private fundraiser for breast cancer research.
Bob & Paula Brockway
Category Power Couples
Company Bill Ussery Motors
Industry Automobile
What Makes Them Haute She is a philanthropist and 2007 “Woman of Spirit” award winner, and he is the chairman of Bill Ussery Motors in Coral Gables, which is the second-oldest Mercedes-Benz dealership in the nation.
Michael Capponi
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Capponi Group Corporation
Industry Real Estate / Nightlife
What Makes Him Haute While his nightlife ventures may have put him on the map, it’s his other businesses (Capponi Group Luxury Properties, Capponi Building Company, and Capponi Casa) that caught the fickle attention of the luxe-seeking crowd. From revamping Miami Executive Airport to major home renovations—including JR and Loren Ridinger’s Casa Sueños—Michael Capponi is at the center of the city’s entrepreneurial scene.
Cindy Carr
Category Philanthropists
Company Cindy Davis Carr Fund
Industry Philanthropy
What Makes Her Haute Before retiring, Carr helped National Distributing Company grow into one of the largest wine and spirits brands in the country. She then established the Cindy Davis Carr Fund as a nonprofit organization to facilitate long-term growth of her many charitable donations including her support for the Jackson Memorial Foundation, the Children’s Home Society, and the Miami Heart Institute.
Raul Casares
Category Entrepreneurs
Company RC Aluminum Industries
Industry Construction
What Makes Him Haute He not only shelters us from the storms, providing hurricane shutters for Florida homes, but his high-end glass products adorn luxury structures like The W Hotel, Acqualina Resort, American Airlines Arena, and Trump Palace.
Robert & Brenda Castellano
Category Power Couples
Company Choice Therapeutics
Industry Medical
What Makes Them Haute The Easter Seals Florida Derby Day, Fairchild’s Gala in the Garden, Miami Science Museum’s Building the Future Gala, the American Red Cross Ball: there are few major philanthropic events in South Florida that this Palm Beach couple are not involved in. They are also on the board of benefactors for the historical society of Palm Beach. Robert’s Choice Therapeutics developed TheraBond, an antimicrobial barrier system that will help prevent infections in hospital settings through a unique silver ion delivery system that will revolutionize the industry when it launches next month.
Joseph Cayre
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Midtown Equities
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Cayre created his real estate empire—which includes Miami’s 55-acre Midtown development—the old fashioned way, from the ground up. He began amassing his fortune by selling videos to discount retailers, and is now part of the group of investors that bought the World Trade Center in 2001 and Sears Tower in 2004.
Harvey & Roberta Chaplin
Category Power Couples
Company Southern Wine and Spirits of America
Industry Alcohol
What Makes Them Haute The chairman and CEO of SWS and his wife are extremely active in the local philanthropic scene, and are lifetime benefactors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Florida.
Myles Chefetz
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Prime 112
Industry Restaurant
What Makes Him Haute Chefetz, a Miami native, can be credited with helping turn South Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood into the luxury enclave it is known as today. His extremely successful restaurants (Prime 112, Prime Italian, Nemo, Shoji Sushi, Big Pink) provide exclusive stomping grounds for many of the other Haute 100ers.
Ugo & Sara Colombo
Category Power Couples
Company CMC Group / NEST
Industry Real Estate / Fashion
What Makes them Haute He has created some of Miami’s most recognizable structures as the president of CMC Group and the founder of Glasswall, LLC, which specializes in impact-resistant window systems for high-rise properties. He has also joined efforts with Giuseppe Cipriani and Patrinely Group to embark on a luxury condominium hotel in South Beach. When not building high rises, he and his wife give back to the city with charitable donations. Former fashion model Sara also recently opened NEST, a fine home furnishings shop on Lincoln Road.
Sean Combs
Category Entertainers
Company Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide
Industry Entertainment
What Makes Him Haute The Grammy award-winning artist is almost as well known for his business ventures as for his music. The hip-hop impresario’s Bad Boy Entertainment is an umbrella company that operates Bad Boy Records, Sean Jean clothing line, a movie production company, Ciroc vodka, and two restaurants.
Matt Damon
Category Entertainers
Company LivePlanet
Industry Film
What Makes Him Haute The A-list actor (named “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2007 by People) settled down in Miami Beach with a former bartender from a South Beach hot spot. In addition to being a box-office draw, the Harvard-educated Damon is a liberal activist, philanthropist, and Miami triathlon competitor. He co-founded LivePlanet production company with Ben Affleck in 2000 with the mission to create media that can be enjoyed across a variety of platforms.
Fred DeLuca
Category Billionaires
Company Subway Sandwiches and Salads
Industry Restaurant
What Makes Him Haute As one of the wealthiest Americans and founder of Subway, he led the nation on a craze for $5 footlongs. He opened his first sandwich shop at age 17, and now has more than 30,000 stores in 85 countries. Subway revenues last year alone topped $12.9 billion.
Gil and Michael Dezer
Category Originators
Company Dezer Properties
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute This father-and-son team has used Dezer Properties to form a monopoly over luxury development, hotel, and commercial spaces in New York, Las Vegas, and Miami by managing more than 1,000 oceanfront hotels. They are currently developing the Trump Grande Ocean Resort & Residence in Sunny Isles Beach.
Mayor Manny Diaz
Category Thinkers
Company City of Miami
Industry Politics
What Makes HIM Haute With no prior public office experience, Mayor Diaz led a city overhaul with financial stability, private-sector business approaches, and quality-of-life initiatives for improving the city’s infrastructure, all in a two-term period. His sights are set on raising awareness of his 10-point plan through mayor’s action forums.
Jill Eber and Jill Hertzberg
Category Entrepreneurs
Company The Jills
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute With record-breaking sales throughout Miami, the Jills represent the region’s most prominent properties—and therefore most prominent individuals.
David Edelstein
Category Entrepreneurs
Company W South Beach
Industry Hospitality
What Makes Him Haute Edelstein is the man behind the highly anticipated W South Beach Hotel & Residences, set to open later this year. The spectacular property is on track to trump all those around it, thanks in part to Mr. Chow, the famed New York restaurant that is opening a Miami outpost at the W.
Gloria & Emilio Estefan
Category Power Couples
Company Estefan Enterprises
Industry Entertainment
What Makes Them Haute Recently honored with the Jay Malina Award for their lifetime achievements and notable contributions to the growth of the arts, entertainment, and hospitality industries in Miami-Dade County, the Estefans, in addition to being ridiculously talented crossover artists with decades-long careers, are actively involved in the betterment of our community. Their company, which was founded in Miami Beach in 1986, has grown into a global entertainment empire spanning across numerous industries.
Arthur Falcone
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Falcone Group
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Falcone sold his private company, Transeastern Homes, to a public entity in 2005 for more than $1 billion. Today, the Falcone Group is a privately held multi-billion dollar entity that specializes in the real estate, telecommunications, and financial industries. He is also involved with the Miami Worldcenter project as well as Philadelphia’s Two Liberty Place.
George Feldenkreis
Category Entrepreneur
Company Perry Ellis International
Industry Fashion
What Makes Him Haute George Feldenkreis, who left Cuba after Castro came into power, founded Perry Ellis International in 1967. He currently serves as chairman and CEO, while his son, Oscar, is president and COO. Feldenkreis is a member of the board of directors of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, a trustee of the Simon Wiesenthal Board, a member of the board of directors of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, and is a trustee of the University of Miami. He is also a director of Federal-Mogul Corporation, an auto part company.
Jim Ferraro
Category Philanthropists
Company The Ferraro Law Firm
Industry Law
What Makes Him Haute Between his local Miami firm and the Cleveland outpost, Ferraro has more than 40,000 asbestos cases, which is the largest inventory of such cases in the U.S. And with good reason—he was also awarded the largest compensatory amount in Florida history for an asbestos case. He is arguably the biggest advocate for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Florida, often buying dozens of wishes at the charity dinners.
Ella Fontanals-Cisneros
Category Thinkers
Company Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation
Industry Art
What Makes Her Haute She began collecting Latin American art in the 1970s, and founded CFAF in 2002 with the goal of fostering understanding and appreciation of contemporary artists from Latin America through grants, commissions, exhibitions, and bilingual publications. She is a trustee of MAM, Patrons of the Tate, the Cintas Foundation, the United States Artist, and the International Women’s Forum, and is an active humanitarian and environmentalist.
Bernardo Fort-Brescia
Category Originators
Company Arquitectonica
Industry Architecture
What Makes Him Haute First recognized
for his flamboyant contributions to Miami’s
skyline (including Marquis and ICON Brickell), he has earned a reputation that has spread throughout the world with designs exhibited in numerous prominent museums throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Patricia & Dr. Phillip Frost
Category Power Couples
Company TEVA Pharmaceuticals
Industry Pharmaceuticals
What Makes Them Haute He is the CEO of IVAX Corporation, which was acquired by TEVA Pharmaceuticals, and she served as chair of the Smithsonian National Board. Both are supporters of the arts and have donated $33 millionto the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami—the largest gift ever made to a university-based music school in the United States.
Russell Galbut
Category Originators
Company Crescent Heights
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute As vice president of industrious and fruitful Crescent Heights, he helped to revive residential properties in South Beach with one-of-a-kind construction. Today Crescent Heights is the nation’s largest residential condominium company with properties across Miami, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and many other cities.
Tessi Garcia
Category Originators
Company Tessi Garcia Interior Design
Industry Interior Design
What Makes Her Haute With more than 25 years in the design business, Andy Garcia’s older sister is one of the most prominent female interior designers in Miami. Her architectural and design firm has won numerous awards, including the Design Excellence Award in 2003, and it also has attained many commercial and institutional clients, such as the Cosmopolitan Towers, The Yacht Club at Portofino, and the Freedom Tower, to name a few.
Barry Gibb
Category Entertainers
Company Bee Gees
Industry Music
What Makes Him Haute The Bee Gees, made up of brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice, were one of the most successful pop groups of all time, creating tunes that defined an era, such as How Deep Is Your Love, Stayin’ Alive, and Night Fever.
Todd Glaser
Category Originators
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Miami Beach-native Todd Glaser is the man behind some of the region’s most impressive luxury homes, including the former Carl Fisher estate. Glaser’s speed and style have made him the go-to guru for luxury renovations in the region’s most exclusive neighborhoods.
Malcolm Glazer
Category Billionaires
Company First Allied Corporation
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute This tycoon inherited his father’s jewelry business at age 15 and later became the president of the property firm First Allied Corporation, which owns shopping centers in 15 states. Now he owns both the professional soccer team Manchester United and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Goldmans
Category Originators
Company Goldman Properties
Industry Real Estate
What Makes them Haute Tony Goldman came to South Beach to meet a friend for dinner one night in the early 1980s, and the rest, as they say, is history. Goldman Properties set up shop and transformed the Art Deco district into the thriving haven it is today. He also can be credited with the reinvention of Soho, the resurgence of Philadelphia’s Center City, and, with his son Joey, the revival of Miami’s Wynwood art district. Joey’s new restaurant, aptly named Joey’s, is the latest step in Goldman Properties’ formulated plan to transform Wynwood into a thriving live-work-play district. After five years as the associate fashion director for Saks, Jessica joined the family business in 1997 as a principal and managing partner and COO for the hospitality division, overseeing the company’s South Beach hotels.
Rex Hamilton
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Rex Hamilton Corporation
Industry Real Estate/ Fashion
What Makes Him Haute The real estate wizard represents some of the hautest properties throughout South Florida.
Wayne Huizenga
Category Billionaires
Company Miami Dolphins
Industry Sports
What Makes Him Haute He is the only person to build three Fortune 1000 companies, including Blockbuster, and to have owned three professional teams in a single market: the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Marlins, and the Florida Panthers.
Julio Iglesias
Category Entertainers
Company Sony BMG
Industry Entertainment
What Makes Him Haute One of the few Hispanic artists to be honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Grammy award-winning Iglesias also has a place on Calle Ocho’s Walk of Latin Stars. He has sold more than 250 million albums, and has been the recipient of more than 2,600 Platinum and Gold records in his illustrious musical career, a figure that no other singer has ever managed to achieve in the history of music.
Iran Issa-Khan
Category Originators
Company Iran Issa-Khan Gallery
Industry Art
What Makes Her Haute She began her career as a high-flying fashion photographer, consorting with the world’s most rich and famous, and it has been said that the Issa-Khan lens set the visual tone for the 1980s. Today, the Persian photographer’s gallery in the Design District portrays some of her best works, including shots of Nancy Regan at the White House, Paulina Porizkova, Farrah Fawcett, and Paloma Picasso.
Roman Jones
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Opium Group
Industry Nightlife
What Makes Him Haute Opium Group, a joint venture between Jones and Eric and Francis Milon, sets the standard when it comes to nightlife. On any given night, you are sure to find someone from the Haute 100 list frequenting one of Jones’ locales, which include Mansion, SET, Louis Bar-Lounge, Privé Las Vegas, and Opium at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
John Kluge
Category Billionaires
Company Metromedia
Industry Media
What Makes Him Haute Formerly the richest man in America, Kluge started his empire after making millions with Metromedia, a group of independent TV stations. He has investments in restaurants, technology, and telecommunication ventures, which amassed him quite the impressive fortune. He believes in paying it forward, though, and donated $400 million to Columbia University last year, which is the fourth-largest gift ever to an educational institution.
Thomas Kramer
Category Entrepreneurs
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Before Thomas Kramer, South Beach was a very different place. His developments (Portofino, Yacht Club, Continuum, Murano, Murano Grande, Icon, Apogee) changed the once-blighted community into a sophisticated world-class destination. Kramer was recently deemed an “Alien of Extraordinary Ability” by the United States government, due to his achievements as an entrepreneur and real estate investor.
Lenny Kravitz
Category Entertainers
Company Kravitz Design
Industry Entertainment
What Makes Him Haute The Grammy-winning crooner also launched his design firm in South Florida with the ever-popular Florida Room at the Delano.
Lennox Lewis
Category Entrepreneurs
Industry Athletics
What Makes Him Haute This Heavyweight Champion not only defeated Evander Holyfield in 1999, but he also KO’d Mike Tyson just three years later to solidify his undisputed reign in the boxing ring. He is also a member of the 100 Black Men of London, which is a non-profit organization created to give back to the community. The Miami Beach resident will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this June.
Diane & Alan Lieberman
Category Power Couples
Companies South Beach Investment Realty / South Beach Group
Industries Real Estate/Hospitality
What Makes them Haute This real estate duo owns both the South Beach Group, which is a boutique Art Deco-style hotel brand, and SBI Realty, which is recognized as the No. 1 real estate company in Miami Beach and specializes in luxury, waterfront homes and condo-hotels.
George Lindemann
Category Billionaires
Company Southern Union Company
Industry Natural Gas
What Makes Him Haute Since selling a contact lens design company, he is now the CEO of a gas firm that is the nation’s third-largest pipeline owner, after buying pipelines from Enron during bankruptcy.
Peter Loftin
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Casa Casuarina
Industry Hospitality
What Makes Him Haute Loftin bought Versace’s famed mansion on Ocean Drive and turned it into a private play haven for the über rich. While the restaurant is now open to the public, Casa Casuarina remains one of South Beach’s most exclusive locales.
Howard Lorber
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Vector Group, Nathan’s Famous, Prudential Douglas Elliman
Industry Real Estate / Fast Food / Tobacco
What Makes Him Haute In addition to being the chairman and a principal owner of New York real estate powerhouse Prudential Douglas Elliman, other titles held by Lorber read like a New York Times best-seller list. He’s the chairman and CEO of Nathan’s Famous Inc., the fast-food company. He’s president and CEO of the Vector Group Ltd., a publicly held diversified holding company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which indirectly owns Liggett Group Inc., Vector Tobacco Inc., and New Valley LLC. And he’s the director of United Capital Corp., a real-estate investment and diversified manufacturing company.
Lowenstein Family
Category Originators
Company Lionstone Development
Industry Hospitality
What Makes Them Haute The Lowenstein family of successful entrepreneurs—father Alfredo, mother Diana, and children Diego, Paula, Flavia, and Carla—is behind The Ritz-Carlton South Beach and the newly opened EPIC Hotel and Residences in Brickell. Their impressive art collection is on display throughout their equally impressive properties.
Al and Shareef Malnik
Category Entrepreneurs
Company The Forge
Industry Restaurant
What Makes Him Haute Al, a lawyer-turned-real-estate-mogul, created The Forge, which is the second oldest restaurant in South Florida. After marrying a Saudi princess and leaving his birth name of Mark behind, Shareef laid the groundwork for impressive restaurant ventures, helping his father turn The Forge into the stomping grounds for A-listers from around the globe. The younger Malnik is currently vested in expanding The Forge’s success to international markets, with an outpost of the successful Miami restaurant opening in Dubai’s Ottoman Palace Hotel in spring 2009. Both Malniks are big advocates of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Martin Z. Margulies
Category Thinkers
Company Margulies Collection at the Warehouse
Industry Art
What Makes Him Haute With one of the most impressive collections of contemporary art in the world, Margulies began showcasing his pieces, which run the gamut from contemporary art and vintage photography, to video, sculpture, and instillations, to the public in 1999 in a 45,000-square-foot space in Miami’s Design District.
Dan & Claire Marino
Category Power Couples
Company Dan Marino Foundation
Industry Philanthropy
What Makes Them Haute The most famous Miami Dolphin in history, Marino’s NFL-record career passing totals of 61,361 yards, 8,358 attempts, 4,967 completions, and 420 touchdowns may never be surpassed. Dan and Claire established the Dan Marino Foundation in 1992 to support medical research, treatment, and outreach programs for children with chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities. The Foundation has raised more than $22 million to provide programs and services that have benefited hundreds of thousands of children and their families.
Pedro and David Martin
Category Originators
Company Terra Group
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute This father-and-son team is the brains behind Terra Group, which specializes in downtown Miami development projects such as 900 Biscayne Bay and Quantum on the Bay. These new locales set a trend of downtown condos on the strip north of The Grand. The two led their company in getting the most bang for its buck with low acquisition prices on the Miami properties.
Keith Menin
Category Originators
Company Sanctuary South Beach
Industry Hospitality
What Makes Him Haute This fourth-generation entrepreneur is home grown, with an eye for the upscale hospitality business. After opening Sanctuary in South Beach in 2005 when he was just 24, Menin has since launched three new hotels: The Raffaello Hotel in Chicago, the Mondrian Hotel in South Beach and another boutique-style, condo-hotel, Sanctuary, on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
Stuart Miller
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Lennar
Industry Construction
What Makes Him Haute Miller, who serves as president and CEO of Lennar Corporation, learned the family business from his father, the company’s founder. Miller joined the ranks after he returned from Harvard and began helping to propel Lennar into one of the largest home construction companies in the country.
Eric & Stacy Milon
Category Power Couples
Company Opium Group
Industry Nightlife
What Makes Them Haute Former model straight out of Paris, Eric is one-third of the genius behind South Beach’s most successful nightlife venues, and his beautiful wife Stacy is a staple at Miami’s hautest events.
Alonzo & Tracy Mourning
Category Power Couples
Company Alonzo Mourning Charities
Industry Philanthropy
What Makes Them Haute She created the Honey Shine Mentoring Program for at-risk girls, while he is a former Miami Heat NBA champion who founded Alonzo Mourning Charities, which has raised more than $6.5 million to assist in the development of children and their families. In March, Alonzo was the first Heat player to have his jersey (No. 33) retired at the American Airlines Arena.
Tom Murphy Jr.
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Coastal Construction Group
Industry Construction
What Makes Him Haute At age 19, Tom became Florida’s youngest-ever licensed general contractor. When he was 21, he co-founded Seaboard Construction, Inc., and, as president, brought the firm to a position on the ENR 400. After buying out his partners, Murphy sold Seaboard in 1989 to one of the largest builders in the world. Along with his brother, Murphy founded Coastal Construction and made it the go-to company for luxury construction throughout South Florida.
Gary Nader
Category Thinkers
Company Gary Nader Fine Art
Industry Art
What Makes Him Haute His gallery rejuvenated the Wynwood art district and has 55,000 square feet of exhibition space, making it the largest in the world. The gallery provides solo and group exhibits, catalogues, and expert services for private clients and museums that focus on the sale of a vast collection of contemporary Latin American art.
Chad Oppenheim
Category Originators
Company Oppenheim Architecture + Design
Industry Architecture
What Makes Him Haute In the eight years since its inception, Oppenheim’s firm has accumulated more than $6 billion in project work and has won more than 14 American Institute of Architects awards.
Don Peebles
Category Originators
Company The Peebles Corporation
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Peebles is the owner of the largest African American development corporation in the United States. His $4 billion portfolio includes projects in Miami Beach, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas, and major news outlets rely on him as an expert source.
Jorge Perez
Category Originators
Company Related Group
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Since its inception, Perez’s Related Group has built more than 55,000 apartments and condos, and currently leads South Florida as the top multi-family developer. Related Group reigns as the U.S.’s largest Hispanic-owned business, a fact that landed Perez on Time’s list of the top 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States. His recently-opened ICON Brickell is making national headlines, thanks to its sleek designs and unmatched locale.
Mike & Alicia Piazza
Category Power Couples
Company Piazza Auto Group
Industry Automobile
What Makes Them Haute Former Mets star and the best-hitting catcher of all time Mike Piazza and his wife Alicia are staples on South Florida’s scene, and are actively involved in the betterment of their South of Fifth community. While he retired from MLB in 2008, Piazza now owns a series of auto dealerships in the Philadelphia area.
Jerry, Sandi, & Jacquelynn Powers
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Power Play
Industry Media
What Makes Them Haute Jerry founded Ocean Drive in 1991 and turned it into one of the most successful regional publications in the country. He sold the publication to Greenspun Media Group in 2007 for $30 million, and stayed on as publisher. He recently resigned from the magazine, as did his wife Sandi, who operated as the fashion director, and daughter Jacquelynn, a staff writer. He immediately announced plans to start a new company called Power Play.
Brett Ratner
Category Originators
Company HSI Productions
Industry Film
What Makes Him Haute His blockbuster Hollywood films may have grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide, but Rater never forgets his Miami Beach roots, which can be traced back to The Forge where he worked in his youth as a promoter, earning $500 per week.
JR & Loren Ridinger
Category Power Couples
Company Market America
Industry Internet Shopping
What Makes Them Haute JR and Loren are the founders of Market America, a direct sales company with UnFranchise owners taking charge of their futures throughout North America, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia. The Ridingers have created an Internet marketing phenomenon that soon will be a billion dollar corporation with more than three million customers. Loren is a fashion icon, and her style (as well as her blog, myfashioncents.com), garnered the attention of Vogue, who named her one of the top 100 women in the U.S.
Pat Riley
Category Thinkers
Company Miami Heat
Industry Basketball
What Makes Him Haute Now in his 12th year as president and head coach of the Miami Heat, Riley led the team to its first NBA championship in 2006. Riley’s NBA career spans 38 years as a player, assistant coach, head coach, administrator, and broadcaster, and he has produced seven NBA championships.
Terence Riley
Category Thinkers
Company Miami Art Museum
Industry Art
What Makes Him Haute Riley served as the chief curator for New York’s Museum of Modern Art for more than a decade before being lured to Miami in 2006 by the MAM. Riley launched an ambitious permanent collection strategy while spearheading the museum’s fundraising program, and overseeing the planning and development of a new state-of-the-art Museum Park facility and sculpture garden on Biscayne Bay.
Craig Robbins
Category Originators
Company Dacra Development
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute South Beach, Lincoln Road, Española Way, and, most importantly, the Design District can all credit this innovate visionary for their transformative rebirth.
Marc Roberts
Category Originators
Company Miami Worldcenter
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Roberts’ sports management company, Worldwide Entertainment and Sports, was the first to go public through an IPO. Today, he is working on the 30-acre Miami Worldcenter project, which aims to transform downtown into a live-work-play environment with retail, restaurant, entertainment, hotel, residential, and commercial components.
Stephen Ross
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Related
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute This Miami native realized the ultimate Dolphins fan’s dream when he purchased 50 percent of the NFL team, as well as Dolphins Stadium, in 2008-09. His success as an international real estate developer afforded him the bank for the multi-million dollar investment.
The Rubell Family
Category Thinkers
Company Rubell Family Collection
Industry Art
What Makes Them Haute The Rubell Family Collection, housed in a 45,000-square-foot warehouse in the Wynwood art district, is one of the leading collections of contemporary art in the world. Started in 1964 by Don and his wife Mera, the collecting group expanded when their children Jason and Jennifer joined in buying and collecting art. Recently Jason’s wife Michelle became a part of the collecting team. The museum features 27 galleries, a research library with more than 30,000 volumes, a film and lecture theater, a new media room, a bookstore, a gift shop, and a sculpture garden.
Mitchell Rubinson
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Integrated Equities, Inc.
Industry Investment
What Makes Him Haute Rubinson has a hand in the founding of a number of national companies, including Cache, Noise Cancellation Technology, Capital Brands (renamed ComScript), Armor Inspection Services, Drill Publishing LLC, and more. For almost 10 years, Rubinson was chairman of the board of International Fast Food Corporation, the exclusive developer and franchisee of Burger King Corporation and Domino’s Pizza for the Republic of Poland. He also has a number of real estate holdings and is involved with the Opium Group.
Paulina Rubio
Category Entertainers
Company EMI / Universal Music
Industry Music
What Makes Her Haute Known as the Queen of Latin Pop, Rubio is one of the most prominent crossover artists to come out of Mexico. She has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, and her songs are often No. 1 on the Latin Billboard charts.
Alejandro Sanz
Category Entertainers
Company Warner Music
Industry Entertainment
What Makes Him Haute Singing his way into music history, the Spanish Sanz is a global sensation, winning a record number of Grammy awards and the adoration of American and international audiences.
Warren Sapp
Category Entertainers
Industry Football
What Makes Him haute The “QB Killa” was one of the most dominant forces in NFL history. He spent three years at UM, forgoing his senior year in favor of the NFL draft. Since retiring from the professional football, he has returned to Miami, which he now calls home. Along with dance partner Kym Johnson, Sapp placed second on the 2008 season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, and he also appears as an analyst on Showtimes’ Inside the NFL.
Stephanie Sayfie-Aagaard
Category Philanthropists
Company The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
Industry Philanthropy
What Makes Her Haute The epitome of a South Florida socialite, Sayfie-Aagaard is absolutely driven in her quest to raise money for various causes, especially at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and The Buoniconti Fund, the world’s largest, most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center.
Lee Schrager
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Southern Wine & Spirits
Industry Alcohol
What Makes Him Haute In a recent profile, the New York Times wrote that “no one has ever done what Mr. Schrager does in the food world.” The director of media and special events at Southern Wine & Spirits is responsible for the creation of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which brings the most celebrated names from the world’s finest culinary institutions and revered wineries to the sands of Miami Beach for one weekend each February. Building on the festival’s extreme success, a New York event debuted in 2008.
Frances Aldrich Sevilla-Sacasa
Category Entrepreneurs
Company U.S. Trust
Industry Banking
What Makes Her Haute She dons a business suit during the day in her role as the president of U.S. Trust, and a gala gown at night to support the Miami City Ballet, for which she serves as vice president and board member.
Shakira
Category Entertainers
Company Pies Descalsos Foundation
Industry Music
What Makes Her Haute This seductive songstress (and Latin Grammy winner) is one of the most prominent crossover artists, and her songs, whether sung in Spanish or in English, are often racing up the charts. Her non-profit organization, Pies Descalsos (which means “barefoot” in English0, is aimed at helping Colombian children that have been the victims of violence.
Eric Sheppard
Category Originators
Company WSG Development Company
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute The self-made mega mogul grew up a few blocks away from the site of his latest project, Canyon Ranch Living, which is located at the historic Carillon Hotel. Sheppard said that he wasn’t even able to afford the valet parking at the former hot spot while he was growing up, and now he owns the updated hotel and the two new residential towers flanking it, as well as the site across the street. This says nothing of the other impressive properties and major projects Sheppard has under his belt in Miami and around the country.
Alina & Anthony Shriver
Category Power Couples
Company Best Buddies International
Industry Philanthropy
What Makes Them Haute In 1989, when he was still in college, Anthony Kennedy Shriver founded Best Buddies International to foster relationships between those with intellectual disabilities and those without. His Cuban-born wife serves as the company’s vice president.
Jeff Soffer
Category Originators
Company Turnberry & Associates
Industry Real Estate/Hospitality
What Makes Him Haute When debuting the $500 million makeover of his world-renowned Fontainebleau, Soffer descended the famous “stairs to nowhere” into hotel’s the lobby (which was packed with everyone who is anyone in Miami) flanked by a bevy of Victoria’s Secret Angels. If that doesn’t make him haute, we don’t know what would…
Don Soffer
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Turnberry & Associates
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Soffer opened his first retail shopping mall with his father he was 24 years old. He then came down to South Florida and purchased almost 1,000 acres of marshland in northern Dade County in 1967, filled the area, and created what is today called Aventura, a planned community. Aventura is now a haven of activity, with golf courses, lakes, bike and exercise paths, exclusive condominiums, hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, and more.
Donald Trump
Category Originators
Company The Trump Organization
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute Trump purchased Mar-A-Lago and used the immense palace as his personal home for a number of years before turning it into one of the country’s most exclusive private clubs. He also has impressive condo and hotel projects underway in Ft. Lauderdale and Sunny Isles.
Dwayne Wade
Category Entertainers
Company Miami Heat
Industry Basketball
What Makes Him Haute Selected fifth overall in the 2003 NBA draft, Wade continues to wow the crowds with his athletic prowess. Equally impressive off the court, he has earned respect for his strong moral convictions and community involvement in helping at-risk youth.
Norm Wedderburn
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Make-A-Wish
Industry Philanthropy
What Makes Him Haute A philanthropic leader in high society, his annual Make-A-Wish Ball generates more dollars and headlines each consecutive year with its “who’s who” guest list of affluent South Florida VIPs.
Pharrell Williams
Category Entertainers
Company Virgin, Star Trak, Interscope
Industry Music
What Makes Him Haute This American music super producer, singer-songwriter, and rapper-turned-fashion designer has won three Grammys and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. Miami became his adopted home when he purchased Ugo Colombo’s penthouse in Brickell.
Sean Wolfington
Category Entrepreneurs
Company The Wolfington Companies
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute A former top-four finalist for the Earnst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year Award,” he is diversified throughout real estate, technology, and film. His first foray into the movie business, as the financier and producer behind Bella, resulted in a first place finish at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Michael and Bobby Yampolsky
Category Entrepreneurs
Company East Coast Jewelry
Industry Jewelry
What Makes Him Haute The father-son duo is the No. 1 retailer for Audemars Piguet and Hublot in America. Bobby made Palm Beach history by becoming the youngest storeowner on Worth Avenue at age 19. Today, their 20-plus year reputation in the industry means that East Coast Jewelry is the go-to for gold (and exquisite and rare timepieces) for luxury-lovers in the know. The Yampolskys also give generously to a number of Jewish causes.
Engin Yesil
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Core Development Holdings Corp.
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute After making his fortune by innovating the eyewear industry through a contact company now known as 1-800-CONTACTS, Turkish tycoon Yesil launched Iprepay, a pioneer company in delivering store value products such as prepaid wireless airtime, calling cards, bill payment, and more. His real estate holdings company is involved in Trump Istanbul.
Romain Zago & Joanna Krupa
Category Power Couples
Company Mynt
Industry Nightlife
What Makes Them Haute After acting as the VIP director, Zago took over Mynt and the club didn’t miss a beat, continuing to be the go-to locale for lovers of luxurious nightlife in a sophisticated setting. His supermodel fiancé graces the covers of magazines, making this couple the reigning king and queen of Miami’s haute crowd. She is also actively involved in PETA.
Sanford Ziff
Category Philanthropists
Company Sunglass Hut
Industry Philanthropy
What Makes Him Haute The founder of Sunglass Hut International is one of the region’s most active philanthropists, evidenced by the Sanford L. Ziff Jewish Museum of Florida on Miami Beach.
