Neil G. Bluhm | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1938 (age 86–87) Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois (B.A.) Northwestern University (J.D.) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Commercial real estate, casinos |
| Spouse(s) | Kimberly Paige Bluhm (m. 2022), Barbara Bluhm-Kaul (divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
Neil Gary Bluhm (born 1938) is an American billionaire real estate and casino magnate. He is a partner of Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, which owns several casinos. [1] [2] [3] He had an estimated net worth of US$7.8 billion in February 2025. [4]
Bluhm was born to a Jewish family in 1938 in Chicago. [4] [5] His father left the family when he was 13, and his mother worked as a bookkeeper. [1] He grew up in a cramped apartment near his immigrant grandparents. He attended a high school on Chicago's northwest side. [6]
He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1959, studying accounting, and in 1962, he received a juris doctor degree from Northwestern University. [4] [1] In 2009, he received Northwestern's Alumni Medal, the highest honor an alumnus can receive from the university. [7]
He started his career as a lawyer and eventually a partner in the Chicago law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt. In 1969, he co-founded JMB Realty [1] with Judd Malkin, his high school friend and college roommate. [8] [6]
In 1994, he co-founded Walton Street Capital, a private equity firm. Soon thereafter, with Greg Carlin, he co-founded Rush Street Gaming. [8]
Bluhm and his children own real estate in Chicago and elsewhere, including Chicago's 900 North Michigan and Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton Hotels. The family is a minority owner of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox. [9] [10]
According to Forbes, he had a net worth of US$7.0 billion in October 2021. [4]
He is divorced from art collector and philanthropist Barbara Bluhm-Kaul. They have 3 children: Andy Bluhm, who runs hedge fund Delaware Street Capital; [1] Leslie Bluhm, who co-founded Chicago Cares, [1] and recently served as a Director on the Board of AmeriCorps under the Biden administration, [1] and Meredith Bluhm-Wolf, who helps direct the family's business and charitable foundation. [1] He is currently married to Kimberly Paige Bluhm. [11]
He lives in Chicago. [4] In December 2018, he purchased an apartment near Miami for $20 million. [12]
An art patron, he sits on the board of trustees of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Whitney Museum of American Art. [4] He has an art collection worth over $300 million. [4] He sits on the board of trustees of Northwestern University. [13]
Bluhm is a Democrat. He hosted President Barack Obama's 49th birthday party, where admission cost a $30,000 donation to the Democratic National Committee. [4] [1] He has contributed to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Dick Durbin, Melissa Bean, Rahm Emanuel, Lisa Madigan, Rod Blagojevich, Lou Lang, and Michael Madigan. [1] In 2017, Bluhm was criticized after calling in a request to Rahm Emanuel after making a $300,000 contribution. [14]
In 2005, he funded the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute with a $10 million gift. [15]
In 2013, he made a $25 million gift to Northwestern University, including $15 million earmarked for the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. [16]
In 2015, he made a $1 million donation to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. [17]
In 2022, he made a $45 million donation to Northwestern Medicine to establish the Bluhm Heart Hospital. [18]
He [Bluhm] owns a minority stake in the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox.