Wealth accumulation was the key criterion used to evaluate real estate investors, with size and diversification of portfolios also playing an integral part.

https://www.real-estate-investing.net/who-are-the-richest-real-estate-investors

Jeff Greene may have started out his career as a busboy, but his business acumen became evident during the housing crisis of 2007 and 2008. Specifically, during that period he made millions through purchasing credit default swaps on mortgage-backed bonds.

Charles Cadogan

British billionaire Sir Ronald Cohen made his fortune through turning Sloane Street into one of London's premier shopping destinations. Together with his family, he owns expansive parcels of highly desirable real estate in Chelsea and Knightsbridge which has generated an estimated net worth of $7 billion.

He has long been listed on Forbes' list of richest people worldwide and is the founder of the company that created his fortune. A true property magnate, his firm plays an essential role in global real estate markets.

He owns more than 3,000 flats and houses, 300 shops, nine hotels, five churches in London alone; as well as Cadogan Estates- an empire passed down from generation to generation for more than 300 years.

Stanley Kroenke

American real estate and sports magnate Stan Kroenke is among the wealthiest property investors worldwide, estimated to be worth $8 billion. As Chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment of Denver he owns Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Mammoths, Los Angeles Rams as well as English Premier League club Arsenal – an estimated total net worth of $8 billion!

He began his career in 1983 by founding Kroenke Group, which developed shopping centers and apartments. Two years later he established THF Realty; together with Ann Walton-Kroenke (who received shares of Walmart after his death), they currently hold vast holdings across the United States.

Kroenke has earned the moniker "Silent Stan," due to his proclivity for silence and his limited contact with media. Most recently he oversaw construction of SoFi stadium in Los Angeles.

Sam Zell

Sam Zell, an self-made billionaire known for his adept dealmaking to build an expansive real estate portfolio, died Thursday at the age of 81.

Zell is the son of Polish immigrant parents. Raised in Seattle and earning both his BA and JD at Michigan, he moved to Chicago shortly thereafter where he started buying distressed properties with college roommate Robert Lurie and managing them for landlords while simultaneously serving as attorneys.

He rose to fame when, in 2007, he sold Equity Office Properties Trust portfolio of 573 office buildings for an eye-popping $39 billion to Blackstone Group – making this deal one of the biggest leveraged buyout deals ever undertaken. Zell was also known for being an active philanthropist; his family foundation sponsored numerous entrepreneurship programs through Zell's family foundation. His savvy investing skills and outspoken attitude made him a revered figure within business world.

Ted Lerner

Lerner was responsible for the namesake of over 228 malls — as well as Washington Nationals — after starting out as an usher at Griffith Stadium. Instead of going to college, Lerner quickly went into real estate investing — creating shopping centers at a time when such ventures weren't popular.

He founded his family-owned company in 1952 and it has become an iconic part of Washington's landscape, becoming Wheaton Plaza, Tysons II and Dulles Town Center as well as other commercial, retail, residential and hotel properties.

Outside of Washington, real estate barons in Miami and Palm Beach have grown richer as prices for their diversified portfolios recovered after Covid-19 reached its low points. That is also the case for Chinese property developer Lee Shau Kee who ranks first on this list as being outside the US.

Don Bren

Donald Bren, chairman of Southern California-based The Irvine Company, remains America's wealthiest real estate investor according to Forbes' estimates, having seen his net worth increase by almost $2 billion this year.

Bren, who holds both a business degree and served three years in the Navy Marine Corps, has amassed more than 120 million square feet of commercial and residential properties and apartments across Orange County and California. His vast empire includes office buildings, hotels, shopping centers as well as golf courses and marinas. Bren believes his key to success lies in strategic property holding for longer to realize greater values that reflect back upon him in tangible results.