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Russell W. Galbut

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Russell W. Galbut
Born
Russell William Galbut[1][2]

(1952-10-20) October 20, 1952 (age 72)[3][4]
Alma materCornell University
University of Miami School of Law
Occupation(s)Lawyer, real estate developer, philanthropist
SpouseRonalee Eisenberg[4]
Parent(s)Hyman P. Galbut
Bessie Galbut
RelativesBruce Menin (cousin)
Julie Menin (cousin-in-law)
Jared Galbut (nephew)[5]

Russell William Galbut (born October 20, 1952) is an American lawyer, CPA, real estate developer and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Crescent Heights, a real estate development company.[6][7]

Early life

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Russell W. Galbut was born to a Jewish family in Miami Beach, Florida circa 1953.[8][9][10][11][12] His paternal grandparents, Abraham and Bessie Galbut, settled in Miami Beach in 1931 where they opened a 24-hour drugstore-restaurant which became the go-to place for local politicians.[13][10] His father, Hyman P. Galbut, was an attorney who also served as a captain in the United States Navy,[14] and as a city commissioner.[10] His mother, Bessie Galbut, was a philanthropist; the Bessie M. Galbut Daughters of Israel Mikvah Center in Miami Beach is named in her honor.[14]

Galbut has three brothers: Dr. Robert Galbut, Dr. David Galbut and Abraham Galbut.[14] He is a graduate of Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy.[15]

In 1974, he graduated from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.[11] In 1980, he received a JD from the University of Miami School of Law, and also earned his CPA certification in Florida.[12][16]

Career

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Galbut started his career at Laventhol & Horwath, an accounting firm which went bankrupt in 1990.[11] Meanwhile, he became a real estate developer in Miami where he built apartment buildings and shopping malls.[11] He later built a chain of retirement facilities in South Florida.[11] In 1983, he acquired The Shelborne, a hotel in Miami.[11]

With his cousin Bruce Menin and business partner Sonny Kahn, Galbut co-founded Crescent Heights, a real estate development company, in 1989.[11][13] In Miami Beach, they built The Alexander, The Decoplage, Carriage Club, and The Casablanca.[13] They also built 35,000 residential units across the United States.[13]

Galbut served on the board of directors of Norwegian Cruise Line,[17] and is a member of the American Arbitration Association.[18]

The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce awarded Galbut the Champion of Business Award in 2014.[19]

Philanthropy

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Galbut serves as the chairman of Colel Chabad, a non-profit organization which runs soup kitchens in Israel.[11] Additionally, he serves on the board of trustees of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, California.[20]

Galbut serves on the advisory board of the Center for Real Estate and Finance in the School of Hotel Administration at his alma mater, Cornell University.[11]

Personal life

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Galbut resides in South Beach, a neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida.[21] His father-in-law is Miami Beach commissioner Sy Eisenberg.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Lawyer Directory – the Florida Bar".
  2. ^ "Mr. Russell William Galbut Profile | Miami, FL Lawyer | Martindale.com". www.martindale.com. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  3. ^ Hubbell, Martindale (March 2001). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: Florida (Volume 5 - 2001). Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561604395.
  4. ^ a b c Who's Who, Marquis (December 1985). Who's Who in the South and Southwest. Marquis Who's Who, Inc. ISBN 9780837908199.
  5. ^ "Jared Galbut". Menin Hospitality. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  6. ^ "Russell Galbut - Biography".
  7. ^ "Will Miami Beach make a deal with Russell Galbut?". The Real Deal Miami. 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
  8. ^ Miami Herald: "Bessie Galbut, matriarch of pioneering Miami Beach family, dies at 92" by Howard Cohen February 06, 2015
  9. ^ "Billionaires' Bid Had 1 Condition". COLlive. November 16, 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d Semple, Kirk (April 6, 1994). "Hot Properties". Miami New Times. "It was an absolutely amazing day!" reiterates the 41-year-old Galbut, putting a final exclamation point on his recollection.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Russell Galbut '74". School of Hotel Administration. Cornell University. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Company Overview of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.: Russell W. Galbut". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  13. ^ a b c d Warech, Jon (May 1, 2015). "The Secrets to the Galbut Family's Success". Ocean Drive Magazine. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  14. ^ a b c Cohen, Howard (February 6, 2015). "Bessie Galbut, matriarch of pioneering Miami Beach family, dies at 92". Miami Herald. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  15. ^ "Leadership Spotlight – Russell Galbut". Miami'sCommunity Newspapers. November 22, 2013.
  16. ^ "Russell W. Galbut '74 | Cornell SHA". sha.cornell.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-01-30.
  17. ^ "Board of Directors". Norwegian Cruise Line. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  18. ^ "Stocks". Bloomberg News. 14 June 2023.
  19. ^ Champion of Business Award [dead link]
  20. ^ "SWC Board of Trustees". Simon Wiesenthal Center. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  21. ^ McCoy, Terrence (February 14, 2014). "MILLIONAIRE RUSSELL GALBUT BUILDING INSANE MANSION ATOP SOBE PARKING GARAGE". Miami New Times. Retrieved February 23, 2016.