Michael Meldman

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Michael S. Meldman
Born (1958-12-30) December 30, 1958 (age 66)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
OccupationBusinessman

Michael S. Meldman (born (1958-12-30)December 30, 1958) is an American businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Discovery Land Company, and one of the three founders of Casamigos tequila with George Clooney and Rande Gerber.

Early life

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Meldman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona.[1][2] His father worked in insurance and his mother was a writer and book reviewer.[2] He graduated from Stanford University in 1981, where he studied history and planned to be a lawyer.[2] He was a member of Theta Delta Chi.[3][4] Meldman performed poorly at the Law School Admission Test and later worked as a blackjack dealer in Lake Tahoe.[5]

Career

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After Meldman graduated in 1981, he began a career in real estate in the Bay Area of Northern California. His first position was as a commercial broker. Meldman financed his first property, a 300-acre lot in Portola Valley, California named Blue Oaks, through three friends in the 1980s.[6]

In 1994, he launched Discovery Land Company. Two years later, he opened his first resort development, The Estancia Club, in Scottsdale.[2] Since The Estancia Club, Meldman and Discovery Land Company operates over 35 high-end residential communities globally, as of 2024.[7]

In 2007, Meldman launched the Discovery Land Company Foundation to support non-profit organizations that benefit children and families in the communities that surround the developments.[1]

In 2012, Meldman partnered with Rande Gerber and George Clooney to create Casamigos tequila.[8]  In June 2017, it was sold to Diageo for $700 million, with an additional $300 million possible depending on the company's performance over the next ten years.[9]

In December 2024, Meldman purchased a 7.5% stake in ownership of the Las Vegas Raiders.[10]

Meldman credits his sons as his influence for his properties, as the locations are catered toward families.[11]

Personal life

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Meldman has three sons.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Millington, Alison. "George Clooney and Rande Gerber have a third partner in their $1 billion tequila company, and he happens to be a real estate tycoon". Business Insider. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Keates, Nancy (January 14, 2016). "Developer Mike Meldman Is Real Estate's Party Boy". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  3. ^ "How Discovery Land Company's Mike Meldman Develops the World's Most Exclusive Private Clubs and Resort Communities". CSQ | C-Suite Quarterly. June 17, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  4. ^ Keates, Nancy (January 14, 2016). "Developer Mike Meldman Is Real Estate's Party Boy". The Wall Street Journal.
  5. ^ Solo-Lyons, Natasha (June 4, 2021). "Mike Meldman is one of the most influential real-estate moguls in the country thanks to his luxurious live-in resorts, which became irresistible to the rich and famous during the pandemic". Business Insider. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  6. ^ Solo-Lyons, Natasha (June 4, 2021). "Mike Meldman is one of the most influential real-estate moguls in the country thanks to his luxurious live-in resorts, which became irresistible to the rich and famous during the pandemic". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Collins, Leah (May 22, 2024). "This ultra-luxe, ultra-exclusive community in the desert is selling plots for up to $50 million". CNN. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  8. ^ Swain, Peter. "Meet Mike Meldman, the US tequila tycoon making golf properties cool again". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  9. ^ Whitten, Sarah (June 21, 2017). "George Clooney just sold his tequila business for up to $1 billion". CNBC. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Reed, Tashan (December 11, 2024). "NFL owners approve 15 percent sale of Raiders, welcoming more members to ownership group". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  11. ^ Keates, Nancy (January 14, 2016). "Developer Mike Meldman Is Real Estate's Party Boy". The Wall Street Journal.


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