Early Life and Education
Jerry I. Speyer was born on June 23, 1940, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parents fled Germany in 1939 to escape persecution, relocating to New York when Jerry was a young child. He grew up in a German-Jewish household on Riverside Drive in Manhattan. Speyer graduated from the Horace Mann School, a prestigious private high school, and went on to earn a Bachelor's degree from Columbia College in 1962 and an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1964.
Rise to Success
Speyer began his career in 1964 as Assistant to the Vice President of Madison Square Garden. In 1978, he co-founded Tishman Speyer Properties with Robert V. Tishman, his father-in-law, to adapt to the changing real estate market. Under Speyer's leadership, Tishman Speyer has developed and acquired many high-profile urban properties, including Rockefeller Center and the Chrysler Building.
Key Business Strategies
Speyer's business strategy has focused on long-term value creation in prime locations. Tishman Speyer's portfolio has expanded to include projects in New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, Frankfurt, and Paris. The company's global real estate portfolio is valued at $64.8 billion. Rob Speyer, Jerry's son, is now the CEO of Tishman Speyer, with Jerry remaining as chairman.
Philanthropy
Jerry Speyer is actively involved in philanthropy. He has served as chairman of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since 2019 and is the chairman emeritus of the Museum of Modern Art. He also holds board positions at organizations like the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund Board.
