Early Life
Robert D. Ziff was born in 1967 in New York City. His parents were William Bernard Ziff Jr., a Jewish American media magnate, and Barbara Ingrid Beitz, a German whose family was recognized for helping save Jews during World War II.
Rise to Success
Robert Ziff's career began after he graduated from Harvard University with a degree in electrical and computer engineering, and then from Cornell Law School, where he was first in his class. He clerked for Chief Judge Monroe G. McKay. In 1994, Robert inherited a portion of his family's wealth after his father sold the Ziff-Davis publishing empire for $1.4 billion. Along with his brothers Dirk and Daniel, they formed Ziff Brothers Investments. The brothers' investments, including seed money for Och-Ziff Capital Management, significantly grew their fortune. The brothers decided to invest with former employees of their hedge funds after Ziff Brothers Investments ceased operations in 2014.
Key Business Strategies
The Ziff brothers, initially employing a consensus-driven investment approach, diversified their inherited wealth across various asset classes. This strategy included hedge funds, private equity, and other investments. Their early investment in Och-Ziff Capital Management, and their shift to independent investments after 2014, underscores their strategic evolution to maintain and grow their wealth.
Philanthropy
Robert Ziff supports philanthropy through the Robert D. Ziff Foundation. He established the Robert D. Ziff Professorship of Law at Cornell Law School in 2008 and endowed the Robert B. Kent Public Interest Fund at Cornell in 2017.