Miami Haute 100

Dave Grutman
Category Entrepreneurs
Company Miami Marketing Group
Industry Nightlife
What Makes Him Haute: The Naples, Florida native has been on the Miami Beach scene for quite a while. Beginning his career at SoBe mainstays like Tantra and The Opium Group, where he headed up marketing, Grutman became equipped to tackle the beast his own way. Armed with an enviable Rolodex and a knack for wrangling the right crowd, he opened Miami Marketing Group (MMG) with partners Brian Gordon and Ryan Schinman. MMG deals with full-service, experiential marketing platforms for everything from red carpet events to the hottest nightclubs around. Today, Grutman’s LIV nightclub at the Fontainebleau has taken Miami’s night scene by storm, with acclaimed DJs like AVICII and group sensation Swedish House Mafia passing through regularly. Needless to say, next time you’d like to hit the hottest party, he’s who you need to know.

H. Wayne Huizenga
Category Billionaires
Company Miami Dolphins
Industry Sports
What Makes Him Haute: This Ft. Lauderdale resident is constantly lauded for his business acumen, and rightfully so. Huizenga is the only person ever to be responsible for six companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and to build three Fortune 1000 companies, one of which is Blockbuster, which he sold to Viacom in 1994 for $8.5 billion. Beyond that, he is the man responsible for bringing professional baseball to South Florida, when he was awarded the then Florida Marlins in 1991. He followed that up by introducing the NHL to South Florida via the Florida Panthers in 1992. For around 15 years, he was also the majority owner of the Miami Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium, making him the only man to have owned all three professional sports teams in a region. He sold all but 5 percent ownership of the Dolphins to Stephen Ross in 2009.

LeBron James
Category Athletes/Power Couples
Company Miami Heat
Industry Basketball
What Makes Him Haute: Nicknamed King James, The Miami Heat forward has already cemented himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history. Off the court, James and his LRMR marketing group brokered a deal with Fenway Sports Group to become the sole marketer of James’s global rights. As part of the deal, James and manager Maverick Carter became minority owners in English soccer team Liverpool FC. James has also garnered attention with the procurement of stellar endorsement deals, including one as the face of luxury timepiece manufacturer Audemars Piguet. James also recently became engaged on this past New Year’s Eve to long-time girlfriend, Savannah Brinson.

The Jills: Jill Eber & Jill Hertzberg
Category Originators
Company Coldwell Banker Residential
Real Estate
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute: With recordbreaking sales throughout Miami, the Jills represent the region’s most prominent properties—and therefore most prominent individuals. Haute Living Real Estate Network members Jills Eber and Hertzberg are surveying the most luxurious residential areas in Miami. Their top location picks include oceanfront homes on Golden Beach, Sunset Island gated community, deluxe waterfront houses on Palm Island, and the exclusive Indian Creek Island. The prices of the speculative homes range from $12.5 to $18.5 million, though houses on Indian Creek Island can go up to $60 million.

Nasir Kassamali
Category Entrepreneur
Company Luminaire
Industry Design
What Makes Him Haute: Nasir Kassamali, along with his wife Nargis, is the creator of Luminaire, a design store that specializes in lighting, furniture and home accessories. Luminaire’s first showroom opened in North Miami Beach in 1974 as a 500 square-foot kiosk, which grew into a 4,500 square-foot space in two years. Trailblazers of design, the Kassamalis idea is to bring the best designs from around the world to the American public; and as such, many major projects tap Nasir’s talent as a design consultant.

Naeem Khan
Category Thinker
Company Naeem Khan
Industry Fashion
What Makes Him Haute: His precision-cut dresses, classic gowns and chic separates are the definition of luxury. After launching his brand in 2003, high-end retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus clambered to offer his line to their discerning clientele. The collection has since grown wildly popular and is sold at more than 100 specialty stores across the globe. Some of his loyal fans include style-set notables like First Lady Michelle Obama, Penelope Cruz, Beyonce and Queen Noor of Jordan. Born in India, Khan is continuing the family tradition of creating beautifully intricate frocks for the most fashionable of customers; both his father and grand-father are also well known for designing clothing worn by royal families around the globe.

Timo Kipp
Category Entrepreneur
Company Whalous Properties
Management
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute: With a passion for fine dining, Timo Kipp is the owner of the high-end restaurant Villa Mayfair. He is also a banker and investor and is the owner Whalou Properties Management, a residential managing company focused on commercial real estate. In 2010, Kipp sold retail and office complex Mayfair in the Grove for $37.8 million to WMP, LLC.

Thomas Kramer
Category Originators
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Him Haute: Thomas Kramer played quite a role in the revitalization of South Beach. His developments (Portofino, Yacht Club, Continuum, Murano, Murano Grande, Icon, Apogee) transformed the once-blighted community into a sophisticated, world-class destination. In fact, his own Star Island home is a coveted playground that he’s generous enough to lend out for worthy causes. The Thomas Kramer Foundation has benefited many local and national charities.

Romain Zago & Joanna Krupa
Category Power Couples
Company Mynt Lounge
Industry Nightlife
What Makes Them Haute: They say experience is a privilege that can’t be bought. In Romain Zago’s case, they weren’t far off. Zago’s Mynt lounge on South Beach, which was the chosen venue for Dwyane Wade’s recent 30th birthday blowout, continues to be the go-to locale for lovers of luxurious nightlife in a sophisticated setting. Romain’s supermodel fiancé Joanna Krupa graces the covers of magazines, appeared on “Dancing with the Stars,” and is often a guest on late night talk shows, making this couple the reigning king and queen of Miami’s haute crowd. She is also actively involved in PETA as the face of a traffic-stopping ad campaign for their ingenious “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign, and will be one of the stars on the next season of Bravo’s hit reality show, The Real Housewives of Miami.

Ira Lang
Category Entrepreneur
Company 2054 Management Corp
Industry Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute: Lang’s impressive career began in New York when the entrepreneur founded several car dealerships, which eventually expanded to Delray Beach. After selling most of these dealerships but one, Lang began investing in commercial real estate and currently owns numerous properties in New York, Florida, Arizona and Colorado. Outside of the workplace, Lang is recognized for his selfless efforts to aid the homeless at the Outreach Center and his strides with St. Judes’ research center.