Al Hoffman, Jr.
| Al Hoffman, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| United States Ambassador to Portugal | |
|
In office October 12, 2005 – September 15, 2007 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John N. Palmer |
| Succeeded by | Thomas F. Stephenson |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | American |
| Residence | Palm Beach, Florida |
| Alma mater |
United States Military Academy Harvard Business School |
Al Hoffman, Jr. is an American real estate developer and a former Ambassador to Portugal.
Early life
Hoffman was raised on the south side of Chicago, the youngest of seven children. His father, a Jewish Austrian, emigrated to the United States in 1906 and opened a poultry store, while his mother was a Scottish-American immigrant who grew up in Kentucky. Hoffman graduated from Morgan Park Military Academy in 1952, and was accepted to the United States Military Academy that same year. He became a captain in the Air Force, where Hoffman flew F-100s. Instead of continuing his career in the air force, Hoffman attended Harvard Business School, where he became interested in real estate development.[1]
Career
After leaving Harvard, Hoffman got a job for KB Homes, a developer in Detroit, Michigan.[1] Hoffman rose to the rank of executive vice president.[1] In 1967, Hoffman founded his own firm, Tekton Corp, which he sold to another company in 1970.[1] In 1975, Hoffman founded another development company, Florida Design Communities, which bought land from struggling companies.[1] In 1995, Hoffman and Don Ackerman bought Westinghouse Communities, which they renamed to WCI Communities.[1] In 2002, the Washington Post described Hoffman as the most influential developer in the state of Florida.[2] Hoffman's development activities were criticized by many environmentalists.[2] Hoffman sold his stake in WCI in 2005 to become the Ambassador to Portugal, a post he held until 2007.[3] In 2008, Hoffman founded Hoffman Partners, another real estate development company.[3]
Other activities
Hoffman served as co-chair of George W. Bush's 2000 campaign for president, and also served as finance chair of the Republican National Committee and the chairman of Florida Governor Jeb Bush's re-election campaign.[2] Hoffman fundraised for John McCain's 2008 candidacy[3] and Mitt Romney's 2012 candidacy.[4] Hoffman donated $1 million to Right to Rise, a Super PAC supporting Jeb Bush's 2016 presidential candidacy.[5] Hoffman served as chairman of Marco Rubio's successful 2010 Senate candidacy, but tried to dissuade Rubio from running for president in 2016.[6]
In 2010, Hoffman put his $10 million home in Fort Myers, Florida up for auction, and moved to Palm Beach, Florida.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Burns, Susan (September 2010). "Tales of Hoffman". Gulfshore Business. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 Grunwald, Michael (25 June 2002). "Growing Pains in Southwest Fla.". Washington Post. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 Roth, Sean (10 July 2008). "Hoffman’s return". Business Observer. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ Trischitta, Linda (20 September 2012). "Romney returns to Palm Beach County for fundraisers". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ "Million-Dollar Donors in the 2016 Presidential Race". New York Times. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ King, Ledyard (12 April 2015). "Florida GOP begins choosing sides in Bush vs. Rubio". USA Today. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ Layden, Laura (1 February 2010). "Al Hoffman's 7 bedroom, 7-plus bath mansion in south Fort Myers will go to the highest bidder". Naples Daily News. Retrieved 16 October 2015.