Early Life and Education
Steven Charles Witkoff was born in the Bronx, New York, and raised on Long Island. He is of Jewish heritage. He earned a BA in political science and a JD from Hofstra University. After starting his career as a real estate attorney, he shifted to property development in New York and Miami.
Rise to Success
Witkoff founded the Witkoff Group in 1997, a real estate development and investment firm. The firm specializes in identifying and acquiring undervalued properties in key central business districts. Witkoff's approach focuses on acquiring distressed assets and repositioning them. Witkoff has successfully led the repositioning of over 70 properties comprising some 18 million square feet in major central business districts in the U.S. and abroad. Notable acquisitions include the Woolworth Building, the Daily News Building, and the Park Lane Hotel.
Key Business Strategies
The Witkoff Group employs a vertically integrated, operationally focused approach to project development. The firm has in-house teams focused on acquisitions, financing, design, development, construction, sales and marketing, and asset and property management. Key strategies include acquiring undervalued assets, repositioning properties in gateway markets, and forming strategic partnerships.
Philanthropy
In 2011, Witkoff's son Andrew died from an opioid overdose, after which Witkoff became an advocate for addiction awareness and recovery efforts.