David A. Siegel

Last updated

David A. Siegel
David A. Siegel 207-DP-8712-DS1503 (cropped).jpg
Siegel in 2003
Born (1935-05-03) May 3, 1935 (age 89)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater University of Miami (dropped out)
OccupationBusinessman
Organization Westgate Resorts
Political party Republican
Spouses
Geraldine Florence Sanstrom
​
​
(m. 1961;div. 1968)​
Bettie Irene Tucker
​
​
(m. 1970;div. 1997)​
​
(m. 2000)​
[1]
Children12

David Alan Siegel (born May 3, 1935) [2] is an American businessman who founded Westgate Resorts Ltd, a Florida-based timeshare resort firm, and is its president and chief executive officer. He has ten biological children and two adopted children. Siegel is CEO of CFI Resorts Management Inc and Central Florida Investments Inc. His other businesses include real estate, construction, hotel and apartment management, travel services, insurance, transportation, and retail.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Siegel, his wife Jackie, and their Versailles house, a 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m2) residential construction project in Florida, were the subject of the 2012 documentary film The Queen of Versailles , [3] and the 2024 stage musical The Queen of Versailles (musical) with F. Murray Abraham originating the role of David.

Siegel was the owner of the Orlando Predators, an arena football team. He also bought the Cocoa Beach Pier and the Las Vegas Hotel. [4]

Personal life

Siegel was born to a wealthy Jewish family [5] [6] in Chicago, to Sadelle and Sid Siegel, a grocer, who moved the family and grocery business to Miami in 1945. [5] [7] Siegel grew up in Florida where he graduated from Miami Senior High School in 1953, and later studied marketing and management at the University of Miami, before dropping out.

In March 1961, Siegel married Geraldine Florence Sanstrom. [8] The couple had three children: Steven, Valerie, and Richard.[ citation needed ] Their marriage ended in 1968. In 1970, Siegel married Betty Tucker, with whom he had a daughter, Susan,[ citation needed ] and moved from Miami to Orlando. [9] They divorced in 1997, and he remained the custodial parent of all the children. He met his current wife Jackie Siegel in 1998. [9] And although she is not Jewish, they were married in a Jewish ceremony. [5] [6] [10] Together, they have eight children, including Jackie's adopted niece, Jonquil. [11] Their other children are: Victoria, David, Daniel, Debbie, Drew, and twins, Jacqueline and Jordan. [11]

Siegel's businesses, family, and personal life were adversely affected by the 2008 financial crisis, as seen in the documentary The Queen of Versailles . [12]

On June 6, 2015, the Siegels' 18-year-old daughter Victoria Siegel was found unresponsive at their home in Windermere and, after being taken to hospital, was pronounced dead. The cause of death was later determined to be a drug overdose, which motivated him to advocate against drug abuse. [13] [14]

Politics

Siegel campaigned for George W. Bush in 2000. [15]

In a February 2012 interview with Susan Berfield, Siegel elaborated:

"Whenever I saw a negative article about Gore, I put it in with the paychecks of my 8,000 employees. I had my managers do a survey on every employee. If they liked Bush, we made them register to vote. But not if they liked Gore. The week before [the election] we made 80,000 phone calls through my call center—they were robo-calls. On Election Day, we made sure everyone who was voting for Bush got to the polls. I didn't know he would win by 527 votes. Afterward, we did a survey among the employees to find out who voted who wouldn't have otherwise. One thousand of them said so." [16]

During the 2012 United States elections, Siegel caused controversy and public debate when he sent a mass email to his employees, suggesting that they vote for Republican Party candidate Mitt Romney or he might have to take drastic measures in how he operated the company (including cutting back on his company's workforce). [17] [18] In January 2015, it was noted that his company had experienced "the best year in our history" and he raised his company's minimum wage to $10 per hour. [19]

Sexual harassment lawsuit by Dawn Myers

In 2008, Siegel was found liable in a sexual-harassment lawsuit brought by former Westgate employee Dawn Myers. After a trial in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the jury awarded $5.4 million, but the judge reduced the award to $610,000. [20] In the trial award, Myers recovered $103,622.09 in compensatory damages and $506,847.75 in punitive damages arising from her claim of battery under state law, but her claims of sexual harassment were found to be time-barred. [21] The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal and cross-appeal, affirming the district court's judgment. [21]

The Queen of Versailles

The Queen of Versailles is a 2012 American documentary film by Lauren Greenfield. The film shows Jackie Siegel and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, and their family as they attempt to build the Versailles house, the largest and most expensive single-family house in the United States, and the crisis they face as the U.S. economy declines.

The film also shows Siegel trying and failing to retain ownership of Westgate's Las Vegas high-rise resort, the PH Towers Westgate. Siegel's son and senior Westgate executive, Richard, is quoted as saying that David Siegel's determination not to lose the Ph Tower was a major source of the company's financial troubles in 2009–11. On November 22, 2011, a controlling interest in the property was sold to Resort Finance America LLC. [22]

On January 10, 2012, David Siegel and Westgate Resorts, Ltd filed a lawsuit in Florida against the Sundance Institute and the filmmakers of The Queen of Versailles, claiming that Sundance's published film description was defamatory. On January 23, 2013, the United States District Court Judge Conway of the Middle District of Florida ordered a stay of the lawsuit pending arbitration. In her order, Judge Conway called the testimony previously offered by Siegel during court hearings "inconsistent and incredible and thus lacking weight". [23] [24] [25]

The matter was subsequently heard before an arbitrator for the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) in June 2013. On March 13, 2014, the arbitrator awarded in favor of the filmmakers, Lauren Greenfield and Frank Evers, including an order that David Siegel and Westgate Resorts pay $750,000 to the filmmakers. [26] [27]

The arbitrator wrote in the award, "Having viewed the supposedly egregious portions of the Motion Picture numerous times, [the Arbitrator] simply does not find that any of the content of the Motion Picture was false." The arbitrator also wrote that Westgate had failed to show how the documentary damaged it. Finally, the arbitrator noted that Westgate "did not remotely establish the type of malice required for a defamation claim on behalf of a public figure." [28]

A second lawsuit filed by David Siegel (and Jackie Siegel) in February 2013 against the filmmakers of The Queen of Versailles was subsequently heard by Greg Derin of the American Arbitration Association in Los Angeles. On February 28, 2014, Derin ruled that the filmmakers' agreement with the family, pertaining to certain life rights, was "invalid and unenforceable". The Siegels' attempt to sue for $5 million in damages was also dismissed by Derin. [29]

Mystery Fun House

Siegel was one of the founders of Mystery Fun House, an attraction in Orlando, Florida, that opened on March 28, 1976, and operated until 2001. It was located near International Drive, on Major Boulevard, across from Universal Orlando Resort. Over time, the fun house expanded to include a laser-tag facility, an arcade, a dinosaur-themed mini golf course, and other attractions. He also produced the movie Night Terror within the MFH in 2002. [30] It starred local talent but also included Jeff Speakman and Al Lewis (The Munsters).

Filmography

YearTitleSelfProducerActorNotes
2000Held for RansomNoNoYes
  • Crime scene detective
2002Night TerrorNoYesYes
  • Policeman
2011 My Trip to the Dark Side NoNoNo
  • Special thanks
2012 The Queen of Versailles YesNoNo
2015 Celebrity Wife Swap YesNoNo
2015Bob Massi Is the Property ManYesNoNo
  • 2 episodes
2016Beneath the CrownYesNoNo
  • Interviewee
2017 Flipping Out YesNoNo
  • Potential client
2021 Below Deck YesNoNo
  • 2 episodes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard Rock Cafe</span> Chain of restaurants

Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a chain of theme bar-restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2007, Hard Rock Cafe International (USA), Inc. was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida and was headquartered in Orlando, Florida, until April 2018, when the corporate offices were relocated to Davie, Florida. As of July 2018, Hard Rock International has venues in 74 countries, including 172 bar or cafe-restaurants, 37 hotels, and four casinos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westgate Las Vegas</span> Casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is a hotel, casino, and timeshare resort in Winchester, Nevada. Located near the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, it is owned by Westgate Resorts. It opened in 1969 as the International Hotel, and was known for many years as the Las Vegas Hilton, then briefly as the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. From 1981 to 1990, it was the largest hotel in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planet Hollywood</span> North American company of theme restaurants inspired by North American cinema

Planet Hollywood International Inc. is a themed restaurant chain inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood. The company is owned by Earl Enterprises corporation. Earl Enterprises was founded by Robert Earl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney's Contemporary Resort</span> Hotel at Walt Disney World

Disney's Contemporary Resort, originally to be named Tempo Bay Hotel and previously the Contemporary Resort Hotel, is a resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. Opened on October 1, 1971, the hotel is one of two original properties located at the complex alongside Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and is currently listed as a deluxe-priced resort. It is adjacent to the Magic Kingdom theme park, and is identified by its A-frame main building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Full Sail University</span> Private, for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida

Full Sail University is a private for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts. The school moved to Florida in 1980, began offering bachelor's degrees in 2005, and began offering online degrees in 2007. The following year, the school was granted university status by the Florida Department of Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Studios Florida</span> Theme park in the United States

Universal Studios Florida is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida, that opened on June 7, 1990. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal, it features numerous rides, attractions, and live shows that are primarily themed to movies, television, and other aspects of the entertainment industry. Universal Studios Florida was the first of three theme parks to open at Universal Orlando Resort, joined later by Universal Islands of Adventure in 1999, and Universal Volcano Bay in 2017. In 2019, it ranked eleventh in the world – sixth in North America – for overall attendance among amusement parks with approximately 10.9 million visitors. A fourth park, Universal Epic Universe, is expected in 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites – Waterpark</span> Hotel in Orlando, Florida, United States

Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites – Waterpark is an all-suite hotel in Orlando, Florida, United States, near the Universal Orlando Resort and one mile from Walt Disney World Resort. It is a Holiday Inn Resort. From 2005 to 2016, the hotel was themed after the cable television channel Nickelodeon.

Westgate Resorts is an American timeshare resort company founded by David A. Siegel in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Greenfield</span> American photographer and filmmaker

Lauren Greenfield is an American artist, documentary photographer, and documentary filmmaker. She has published photographic monographs, directed documentary features and series, produced traveling exhibitions, and published in magazines throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Evers (businessman)</span>

Francis "Frank" Anthony Evers is an Irish & American businessman and film/TV producer, the CEO of Institute, Institute Artist, the Story Institute, and the president of Evergreen Pictures and Girl Culture Films.

<i>The Queen of Versailles</i> 2012 American film

The Queen of Versailles is a 2012 American documentary film by Lauren Greenfield. The film depicts Jackie Siegel and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, and their family as they build their private residence—Versailles, one of the largest and most expensive single-family houses in the United States—and the crisis they face as the US economy declines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Versailles (house)</span> House in Windermere, Florida, U.S.

Versailles is a 90,000-square-foot (8,400 m2) house belonging to Westgate Resorts founder David Siegel and his wife Jackie. It is under construction at 6121 Kirkstone Lane, Windermere, Florida, in the gated community of Lake Butler Sound in Orange County, Florida, United States. Named and modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France, the completed project would be one of the largest single-family homes in the United States. It is designed as the primary residence of the Siegels and their children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Val Demings</span> American politician (born 1957)

Valdez Venita Demings is an American politician and former police officer who served as U.S. representative for Florida's 10th congressional district from 2017 to 2023. The district covered most of the western half of Orlando and includes much of the area around Orlando's resort parks. It includes many of Orlando's western suburbs, including Apopka and Winter Garden. From 2007 to 2011, Demings served as the first female chief of the Orlando Police Department, closing a 27-year career in law enforcement. She has also been first lady of Orange County, Florida, since December 4, 2018, when her husband Jerry Demings was sworn in as County Mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts</span> Ride at Universal Studios Florida

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is an indoor steel roller coaster designed by Universal Creative and built by Intamin at Universal Studios Florida, a theme park located within the Universal Orlando Resort. Similar to dark rides, the roller coaster utilizes special effects in a controlled-lighting environment and also employs motion-based 3-D projection of both animation and live-action sequences to enhance the experience. The ride is themed to Gringotts Wizarding Bank, as depicted in the Harry Potter films, and became the flagship attraction for the expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley when it opened on July 8, 2014.

Jacqueline Siegel is an American socialite, model, actress, and beauty pageant director. She is one of the main subjects of the 2012 documentary film The Queen of Versailles, directed by Lauren Greenfield, its sequel series, Queen of Versailles Reigns Again, and the 2024 stage musical The Queen of Versailles (musical) with Kristin Chenoweth originating the role of Jackie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament House (hotel)</span> Gay resort in Florida, United States

Parliament House was a gay resort on the Orange Blossom Trail in Florida, United States, that included several bars and hosted performances such as drag shows. There were 112 rooms in the complex, which encompassed ten thousand square feet, including an outdoor stage, a swimming pool, and a dance floor. The resort was established in 1975, and eventually became the most well-known gay resort in Orlando. In 2006, the resort expanded to include a timeshare. In 2010, Parliament House was in danger of foreclosure. In 2012, Kenneth Creuzer, a 48-year-old HIV-positive man, was arrested on charges relating to his having allegedly raped a man at Parliament House. Alison Arngrim, who portrayed Nellie Oleson on the television series Little House on the Prairie, performed a one-person show called "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch" at Parliament House in 2013. On July 25, 2014, the resort filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with $12.4 million in debts and nearly $4 million in assets. In February 2015, a fourteen-million-dollar debt relief plan was approved by the relevant parties. In 2019, NewNowNext declared Parliament House the most popular gay bar in the United States.

River Ranch is an unincorporated community in far eastern Polk County, Florida, United States. The community is located on the west bank of the Kissimmee River, south of Florida State Road 60. Some of the community is occupied by the Westgate River Ranch Resort, a cowboy-themed resort. There is an ownership RV park adjacent to the resort, though it has no affiliation with Westgate. Resort amenities include a golf course, petting zoo, outdoor activities such as fishing and horseback riding, a restaurant and convenience store, and cabins. The resort is also home to the community's post office, which has ZIP code 33867, and a privately operated airport. The community also includes several privately owned homes, many of which are owned by sportsmen who use the surrounding land for outdoor sports. The remainder of River Ranch is occupied by the RRPOA, A large, 44,000 acre, privately owned recreation property used for hunting, trail riding, camping and mudding, with entry by legal property owners with an active membership in RRPOA only. River Ranch is also a trailhead for the Florida Trail, which can be accessed through the KICCO Wildlife Management Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elara (timeshare)</span> Timeshare in Nevada, United States

Elara is a 50-story timeshare building and non-casino hotel at 80 East Harmon Avenue in Paradise, Nevada, located behind the Planet Hollywood resort that operates on the Las Vegas Strip.

<i>The Queen of Versailles</i> (musical) 2024 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz

The Queen of Versailles is a 2024 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Lindsey Ferrentino. It is based on the 2012 documentary of the same name directed by Lauren Greenfield about Jackie and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, who are building a gigantic mansion, Versailles, in central Florida.

References

  1. ↑ "All Florida Marriage Collection". Ancestry.com. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  2. ↑ "David A. Siegel". Orlando Sentinel. April 20, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  3. ↑ "queenofversailles.com". www.queenofversailles.com. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Westgate Las Vegas owner David Siegel: 'I like the odds here — we know what we can do out here' - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Sadelle Siegel worked into her 90s, was 'woman with golden arm' in Vegas". Orlando Sentinel. June 8, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Jewish Week: "Intermarried In 'Versailles'" Archived June 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine July 7, 2007
  7. ↑ "Is David Siegel The Magic's Man". Orlando Sentinel. February 3, 2002. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  8. ↑ "All Florida Marriage Collection". Ancestry.com. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  9. 1 2 Berfield, Susan. "Inside what would be the biggest house in America – MSN Real Estate". Realestate.msn.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Timeshare Baron Weds Former Beauty Queen". Orlando Sentinel. January 3, 2000. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Waring, Jana (March 12, 2009). "Queen of Versailles". Playground News Magazine. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  12. ↑ Liston, Barbara (July 30, 2012). "Time-share king restarts work on Florida Versailles as business booms". Reuters .
  13. ↑ "Queen of Versailles Stars Jackie & David Siegel Speak Out After Daughter's Fatal Overdose: 'Victoria Didn't Die in Vain'". People. July 30, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  14. ↑ Brinkmann, Paul. "David Siegel backs off day-to-day operations of Westgate", Orlando Sentinel, October 7, 2015. Accessed April 28, 2016.
  15. ↑ Goldberg, Adam (July 31, 2012). "David Siegel, Florida Real Estate Mogul, Claims To Be 'Personally Responsible' For George W. Bush's 2000 Victory". HuffPost. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  16. ↑ Berfield, Susan. "Why Time-Share King David Siegel Thinks He Got Bush Elected". Business Weed. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  17. ↑ Berfield, Susan (October 10, 2012). "Why David Siegel Told His Employees to Vote for Romney". Business Week . Archived from the original on October 11, 2012.
  18. ↑ Gawker "The CEO Who Built Himself America's Largest House Just Threatened to Fire His Employees if Obama's Elected" Archived October 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ "David Siegel ups minimum pay to $10 an hour". Orlando Sentinel. January 5, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Mr. Big". Orlando Magazine. June 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  21. 1 2 "Dawn Georgette Myers v. Central Florida Investments, Inc., David Siegel, et al" (PDF). United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. January 6, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  22. ↑ Ph Towers has new owner
  23. ↑ Eriq Gardner (January 25, 2013). "'Queen of Versailles' Filmmaker Wins Key Ruling in Defamation Fight". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Westgate Resorts, Ltd. v. Lauren Greenfield, Frank Evers and Greenfield/Evers LLC" (PDF). January 24, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  25. ↑ Deshayla Strachan (January 29, 2013). "'Queen of Versailles' Spat Heads to Arbitration". Entertainment Law Digest. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  26. ↑ Eriq Gardner (March 13, 2014). "'Queen of Versailles' Filmmaker Beats Westgate's Defamation Claim (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter.
  27. ↑ Adam Benzine (March 17, 2014). "IFTA backs filmmakers over "Queens of Versailles" complaint". Hollywood Reporter.
  28. ↑ "IFTA Award by Roy Rifkin in matter of Westgate Resort Ltd versus Frank Evers, Lauren Greenfield, and Greenfield/Evers LLC".
  29. ↑ "Exclusive: "Queen of Versailles" subjects ink NBC studio deal" . Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  30. ↑ Monte, Ric La (October 1, 2002), Night Terror (Horror), Jeff Speakman, Dan Baccelliere, Jaqueline Siegel, Al Lewis, Rock Jar Productions Inc., retrieved September 30, 2020
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.