Early Life
Dirk Edward Ziff was born in 1965. His mother was Barbara Ingrid Beitz. His father was William Bernard Ziff Jr., a media magnate who built the Ziff-Davis magazine empire, which included publications like PC Magazine and Car and Driver. Dirk graduated from the Trinity School in New York City and later earned a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard University.
Rise to Success
In 1994, Dirk and his brothers inherited the family fortune after their father sold 95% of the Ziff-Davis magazine empire for $1.4 billion. They subsequently formed Ziff Brothers Investments, a New York City-based investment firm. The firm invested in various asset classes, including equities, debt, real estate, commodities, private equity, and hedge funds. A notable investment was providing seed money to Daniel Och for a 10% stake in Och-Ziff Capital Management, which went public in 2007. In 2014, Dirk established his own family office, Ziff Capital Partners.
Key Business Strategies
Dirk Ziff's business strategy has focused on investment diversification and strategic partnerships. Through Ziff Brothers Investments, he and his brothers invested across multiple asset classes to mitigate risk and maximize returns. The firm's early investment in Och-Ziff Capital Management demonstrates a strategy of identifying and supporting promising financial managers. Ziff's more recent establishment of Ziff Capital Partners reflects a shift towards independent investment management, allowing for greater control and focus.
Philanthropy
Dirk Ziff has been involved in several philanthropic endeavors. He served as a founding board member of the Robin Hood Foundation in 2006. 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.
