Neil_Bluhm
Neil Bluhm
Businessperson
Neil Gary Bluhm (born 1938) is an American billionaire real estate and casino magnate. He is a partner of Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, which owns several casinos.[1][2][3] He had an estimated net worth of US$7 billion in October 2021.[4]
Neil G. Bluhm | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1938 (age 85–86) Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois (B.A.) Northwestern University (J.D.) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Commercial real estate, casinos |
| Spouse(s) | Kimberly Paige Bluhm (m. 2022), Barbara Bluhm-Kaul (divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
Bluhm was born to a Jewish family in 1938 in Chicago.[4][5] His father left the family when he was 13, and his mother worked as a bookkeeper.[1] He grew up in a cramped apartment near his immigrant grandparents. He attended a high school on Chicago's northwest side.[6]
He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1959, studying accounting, and in 1962, he received a juris doctor degree from Northwestern University.[4][1] In 2009, he received Northwestern's Alumni Medal, the highest honor an alumnus can receive from the university.[7]
He started his career as a lawyer and eventually a partner in the Chicago law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt. In 1969, he co-founded JMB Realty[1] with Judd Malkin, his high school friend and college roommate.[8][6]
In 1994, he co-founded Walton Street Capital, a private equity firm. Soon thereafter, with Greg Carlin, he co-founded Rush Street Gaming.[8]
Bluhm and his children own real estate in Chicago and elsewhere, including Chicago's 900 North Michigan and Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton Hotels. The family is a minority owner of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox.[9][10]
According to Forbes, he had a net worth of US$7.0 billion in October 2021.[4]
He is divorced from art collector and philanthropist Barbara Bluhm-Kaul. They have 3 children: Andy Bluhm, who runs hedge fund Delaware Street Capital;[1] Leslie Bluhm, who co-founded Chicago Cares,[1] and currently serves as a Director on the Board of AmeriCorps under the Biden administration,[1] and Meredith Bluhm-Wolf, who helps direct the family's business and charitable foundation.[1] He is currently married to Kimberly Paige Bluhm.[11]
He lives in Chicago.[4] In December 2018, he purchased an apartment near Miami for $20 million.[12]
An art patron, he sits on the board of trustees of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Whitney Museum of American Art.[4] He has an art collection worth $300 million.[4] He sits on the board of trustees of Northwestern University.[13]
Political contributions
Bluhm is a Democrat. He hosted President Barack Obama's 49th birthday party, where admission cost a $30,000 donation to the Democratic National Committee.[4][1] He has contributed to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Dick Durbin, Melissa Bean, Rahm Emanuel, Lisa Madigan, Rod Blagojevich, Lou Lang, and Michael Madigan.[1] In 2017, Bluhm was criticized after calling in a request to Rahm Emanuel after making a $300,000 contribution.[14]
Philanthropy
In 2005, he funded the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute with a $10 million gift.[15]
In 2013, he made a $25 million gift to Northwestern University, including $15 million earmarked for the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.[16]
In 2015, he made a $1 million donation to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.[17]
In 2022, he made a $45 million donation to Northwestern Medicine to establish the Bluhm Heart Hospital.[18]
- "Board Member Confirmation: Leslie Bluhn". www.americorps.gov. July 22, 2022.
- Harris, Melissa (July 17, 2011). "Knowing when to hold them". Chicago Tribune.
- Harris, Melissa (March 16, 2015). "Son of billionaire casino magnate Neil Bluhm invests in competitor". Chicago Tribune.
- "Neil Bluhm". Forbes. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- Cutler, Irving (1996). The Jews of Chicago: From Shtetl to Suburb. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252021855.
- Phillips, Stephen (June 13, 1987). "A REALTY CONCERN WITH A BIG APPETITE". The New York Times.
- "Neil Bluhm". Rush Street Gaming.
- "Media Guide" (PDF). Chicago Bulls. 2016. p. 7.
- "Neil Bluhm". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
He [Bluhm] owns a minority stake in the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox.
- Hofheinz, Darrell. "Real estate, casino billionaire Bluhm on buyer's side of $7.4M Palm Beach condo deal". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- RODKIN, DENNIS (December 4, 2018). "Neil Bluhm buys $20 million Florida condo". Crain Communications.
- Neubauer, Chuck; Bergo, Sandy (January 9, 2017). "Rahm Emails Show Casino Chief Sought Help After Family Contributed To Mayor". Better Government Association.
- Kapos, Shia (February 27, 2015). "Billionaire developer Bluhm's favorite project". Crain Communications.
- Lazare, Lewis (December 17, 2013). "NU School of Law receives its largest gift ever". American City Business Journals.
- Kapos, Shia (September 2, 2015). "Neil Bluhm, Holly Hunt each donate $1 million to School of Art Institute". Crain Communications.
- Schencker, Lisa (February 14, 2022). "Northwestern plans new 'heart hospital,' with $45 million donation from billionaire Neil Bluhm". Chicago Tribune.