Early Life
Fernando De Leon was born in Brownsville, Texas, on October 1, 1978. He grew up in Matamoros, Mexico, and crossed the border daily to attend school in Brownsville, where he learned English. At 12, he represented South Texas in the National Spelling Bee. His father was a lawyer who also owned a junkyard.
Rise to Success
De Leon graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 2001. He began his career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. In 2006, he founded Leon Capital Group, a real estate development firm. He made real estate investments with an asset value of $15B+. The company has evolved into a diversified holding company with investments in healthcare, financial services, and technology. He made his first fortune in real estate, but sold nearly all his properties before the 2008 financial crisis. The company has invested or developed approximately 20,000 rental housing units, 25M SF of industrial, 15M SF of retail, self-storage, healthcare assets, and 10,000 lots of land in residential subdivisions.
Key Business Strategies
De Leon's strategies include building businesses that improve lives, hiring unconventional thinkers with endurance, and remaining aware of the competition. He has also focused on creating value by providing services and value to families.
Philanthropy
De Leon, along with his wife Patricia, oversees the De Leon Family Foundation, which focuses on education and food supplies in South Texas and Northern Mexico. The De Leon Scholars program awards annual scholarships to students in Texas.
