Early Life
Daniel Morton Ziff was born in 1973. He is the youngest son of William Bernard Ziff Jr., a Jewish American media magnate who built the Ziff-Davis magazine empire. His grandfather, William Bernard Ziff Sr., co-founded the publishing company Ziff Davis in 1927. Daniel graduated from the Trinity School in New York City and later earned a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in 1996.
Rise to Success
In 1994, Daniel and his brothers Dirk and Robert inherited the family fortune after their father sold 95% of the Ziff-Davis publishing business for $1.4 billion. Instead of continuing in the media business, they formed Ziff Brothers Investments, a private investment firm in New York City. Under Daniel's leadership, Ziff Brothers Investments adopted a diversified approach, encompassing equities, real estate, hedge funds, and private equity. The firm became known for its disciplined and data-driven investment strategies, earning a reputation as one of the most successful family offices.
Key Business Strategies
Ziff Brothers Investments invested across a range of asset classes, including equities, debt, real estate, commodities, private equity, and hedge funds. A notable investment was providing seed money to fund manager Daniel Och for a 10% stake in Och-Ziff Capital Management, which later went public. Daniel Ziff and his brothers are noted for their commitment to a consensus-driven approach to investment decisions, although this has evolved over time. Ziff Brothers Investments ceased operations in 2014, and the brothers now invest independently.
Philanthropy
Daniel Ziff and his family have supported numerous causes, including education, healthcare, and the arts. In 2018, Dirk and Daniel Ziff donated $2 million to the Center for Climate and Life, a research initiative at Columbia's Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory. Daniel is involved in The Daniel M Ziff Foundation, a private foundation that primarily funds general support.
