In Memoriam
Most recently, Larry Ackman had been investing with his son, Bill Ackman, and other investors in commercial real estate nationwide, including multi-family apartment renovation, retail, hotels and office properties. After an entire career with Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group LLC and its predecessor companies, he served as Chairman Emeritus of the organization founded by his father and uncle in 1926. After joining the firm in 1960, Larry represented his clients on innumerable debt, equity, sale and lease transactions, and was responsible for some of the industry’s most innovative financial structures.
Larry graduated with an M.B.A. in finance from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in economics from Brown University. Throughout his career, he championed the issue of integrity in the real estate industry and in business in general; to this end, he contributed endowment funds to Harvard Business School, Columbia Law School and the New York University Real Estate Institute for the teaching of business and legal ethics. Larry was a senior member of Applecore Partners, an initiative started by members of the Harvard Business School Class of ’63 to improve public education in the United States. He served on the Board of Directors of the Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopedic Institute from 1980-2003, and of the Realty Foundation of New York since 1985. With his partner Simon Ziff, he was honored with the Real Estate Board’s Henry Harte Rice Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award in 1999, the Real Estate Board’s Most Ingenious Finance Deal of the Year Award 3 times (2000, 2002, and 2003), and the Society of Financial Service Professionals’ American Business Ethics Award in 2000.
Larry was a member of the Advisory Board of the Pershing Square Foundation, established by his son, Bill, since its founding in 2006. He served on the Board of Directors of the New York Philharmonic (orchestra), as well as the Advisory Board of the Newman Institute, Baruch College, CUNY. Larry spoke as a guest lecturer for various continuing education courses at the Real Estate Board of New York, The NYU Real Estate Institute and many other real estate industry organizations.
*In memory, we honor Larry for his innumerable contributions to New York City, his family, and broader community.