Receiving the string “was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life,” Mr. Robert’s most prized possession: a piece of string from the garment of a Colombian tribal chief. He squired glamorous women across the Mediterranean, survived a helicopter explosion near the North Pole and explored the Colombian jungle in search of guerrilla fighters. He had homes from Potomac to Colorado and a list of friends that included Oprah Winfrey, the rock star Bono, Middle East sheiks and Russian oligarchs. To keep up with business deals taking place in different time zones, he had a ski helmet equipped with a cellphone. Even when he went skiing, business came first. Robert had offices and properties around the world and at one point estimated his wealth at about $1 billion. The deal was part of an unprecedented effort by the Resolution Trust Corp., which oversaw the enormous S&L bailout, to recruit private asset-management companies.īy the 1990s, Mr. in 1990 won a government contract worth $41 million over three years to sell a grab bag of strip malls, apartment complexes and other assets worth billions of dollars held by failed savings and loan associations in Texas. In one of his most publicized deals, his J.E. Robert assured the loan officer that he was “going to be the biggest real estate workout guy in town.” Riggs National Bank finally agreed to give him the money after Mr. He went to nearly 20 Washington area banks seeking a $500,000 loan. In 1981, he launched his asset-management company, despite having been told that it was an unwise venture during a recession. He bought handfuls of real estate books and started purchasing condos in Beltsville when he was 20.
Robert decided to go into the real estate business and focus on distressed assets. After working as a bouncer, selling encyclopedias and unloading trucks, he had an epiphany.Ĭonvinced that he was throwing away his life, Mr. He had barely muddled through high school and was kicked out of college for fighting, rendering him homeless for more than a month. Robert asserted his place in Washington’s business firmament from an unlikely starting place. Robert’s death was confirmed by Mike McGillis, managing director of JER Partners, the real estate company Mr. He had a glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer.
Robert Jr., 59, who rose from a troubled childhood to become one of Washington’s wealthiest financiers and most generous philanthropists, known for his raucous annual Fight Night boxing event that raised millions of dollars for children’s charities, died Dec. 7 at his home in McLean.
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