Early Life and Education
David J. Adelman was born on March 11, 1972, and grew up in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, to a Jewish family. At the age of 13, he invested $2,000 of his Bar Mitzvah money in student housing through Campus Apartments, which became his initial foray into the real estate world. Adelman graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Political Science in 1994.
Rise to Success
Adelman's career took off when he became the CEO of Campus Apartments in 1997 at the age of 25. Under his leadership, Campus Apartments expanded significantly, acquiring more than $2 billion in assets. In 2007, he co-founded FS Investments, which has become a major alternative investment firm. Adelman has also been involved in various entrepreneurial ventures, including investments in Wheels Up, a private aviation company, and other ventures through his family office, Darco Capital.
Key Business Strategies
Adelman is known for his ability to structure deals and raise institutional capital. His investment strategy includes identifying undervalued opportunities in student housing and commercial properties. He has emphasized long-term value creation through direct deal sourcing. Adelman's leadership has also been instrumental in the development of 76 Place, a proposed arena for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philanthropy
Adelman is actively involved in philanthropy, particularly within the Jewish community. He is a past chairman of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation and led the development of the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza.
