Recently Forbes released a list of all the billionaires in the United States. While some familiar names are at the top of the list, I always like to look for interesting stories that stand out amongst the lucky people on the list to share with readers. And try to drill down to some local stories.
I have been writing a series on the wealthiest people in major cities across the United States. And while there are no billionaires in Anchorage, there are many successful entrepreneurs.
And it is actually two men who share the title of the wealthiest person in Anchorage. So let's take a quick look at how they got there.
The richest person(s) in Anchorage
The two men who share the title of wealthiest in Anchorage are Jonathan Rubini and Leonard Hyde. These two Anchorage residents both have an estimated net worth of $310 million.
Residents of Anchorage would be familiar with these two names or their business- JL Properties, one of the biggest names in Alaskan real estate.
Before making his name in real estate, Rubini was working as a lawyer in Anchorage and started his own firm named Rubini & Reeve. Hyde earned an engineering degree and was an oil and gas engineer with ARCO.
Rubini had initially moved to Anchorage in the mid-1980s when his father had lost money on a number of bad real estate deals. Rubini helped pay off the banks and ended up meeting Hyde. He persuaded Hyde to quit his job and become his partner.
Their move into real estate has undoubtedly proved to be a successful one.
JL Properties is Alaska’s leading real estate development and investment firm. Its current portfolio has a market value of more than $2 billion. In addition, JL Properties owns and manages over two million square feet of Class A commercial office space in Anchorage.
JL developed the Centerpoint office park, which includes some of Alaska’s iconic office buildings and the Anchorage Convention Center, O’Malley Square, an upscale retail center in Anchorage, and Glenn Square. They also own the tallest building in Anchorage- the Conoco Philips Tower.
Their development isn't limited to Alaska- recently, they developed two hotels near Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Philanthropy
When I write these articles, readers always ask me what these wealthy people do to give back to the community, which has made them so successful.
Rubini serves on the Alaska Community Foundation board, which inspires "the spirit of giving and connecting people, organizations, and causes to strengthen Alaska’s communities now and forever.
Hyde is also active in a number of philanthropic endeavors and currently serves on the board of directors of the Alaska Museum of History & Art.
Readers, have any of you met either Rubini or Hyde or dealt with JL Properties? What was the experience like?
As always, please leave your comments in the section below.
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