Early Life
John Albert Sobrato was born on May 23, 1939, to Italian immigrants in San Francisco. His father owned a popular restaurant, John's Rendezvous. Sobrato began his real estate career in 1957 while attending Santa Clara University.
Rise to Success
After graduating, Sobrato founded Midtown Realty and specialized in Eichler Homes. He later expanded into commercial development. In 1979, he founded The Sobrato Organization, a family-owned firm that has developed millions of square feet of office and R&D space, primarily in Silicon Valley. The Sobrato Organization holds over 4.7 million square feet of office space in Silicon Valley with tenants like Netflix and about 6,450 apartments.
Key Business Strategies
The Sobrato Organization focuses on commercial property for the high-technology industry. The company developed office campuses for many prominent technology firms in Silicon Valley, including Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and others.
Philanthropy
The Sobrato family is committed to philanthropy. John and his wife, Susan, along with their son John Michael, were the first multi-generational signatories of the Giving Pledge. The Sobrato Philanthropies, which includes the Sobrato Family Foundation, has donated over $379 million to non-profits. They also provide free office space to numerous non-profit organizations. In 2017, John pledged $100 million to Santa Clara University for a STEM education center.
