Nicolas Berggruen

Nicolas Berggruen was born on August 10, 1961, in Paris, France. His father, Heinz Berggruen, was an art collector and dealer of German-Jewish descent, while his mother, Bettina Moissi, was a Catholic actress of German and Albanian heritage. Raised in a Catholic household, Nicolas attended École alsacienne in Paris and later Le Rosey in Switzerland. However, he was expelled from Le Rosey for sedition. Despite this setback, he passed state exams in Paris and completed a baccalauréat as a candidat libre.

In 1978, Nicolas moved to London to train under Lord Max Rayne at London Merchant Securities. The following year, he relocated to New York City and enrolled at New York University, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Finance and International Business in 1981.

Nicolas Berggruen's parents were Heinz Berggruen, an art collector and dealer, and Bettina Moissi, an actress. His father was of German-Jewish descent, while his mother was a Catholic of German and Albanian heritage. Nicolas has two children born from one egg donor and two surrogates in 2016.

Nicolas Berggruen's career in finance began with early business experience at Bass Brothers Enterprises and Jacobson and Co. In 1984, he founded Berggruen Holdings, which primarily operates as a long-term investor/owner for portfolio companies. He has made over 100 direct control and real estate investments globally.

In 1988, Nicolas co-founded Alpha Investment Management with Julio Mario Santo Domingo, Jr. Notable investments include the acquisition of the insolvent German retailer Karstadt in 2005, which he successfully brought out of bankruptcy in 2010. He also launched Freedom Acquisitions in 2006 and bought a stake in GLG Partners. In 2009, he acquired Pearl Insurance and, in 2010, purchased a majority stake in the Spanish media group, Prisa.

Nicolas Berggruen's investment portfolio expanded further with the launch of Justice Holding in 2011, in partnership with Martin Franklin and William Ackman.

Justice Holdings took a stake in Burger King Worldwide, Inc. in 2012. He has also acquired residential and commercial real estate across the world. In 2014, he founded NBP Capital, specializing in investment management.

Beyond his investment activities, Nicolas Berggruen is a primary investor and developer in Newark, New Jersey's Teachers Village. He invested in the East Africa Exchange in 2013. By 2011, Berggruen Holdings had offices in Berlin, Istanbul, Mumbai, New York, and Tel Aviv.

Nicolas Berggruen has been involved with numerous companies throughout his career, including:

• Berggruen Holdings
• Alpha Investment Management
• Karstadt
• Freedom Acquisitions
• GLG Partners
• Pearl Insurance
• Prisa
• Justice Holding
• Burger King Worldwide, Inc.
• NBP Capital
• Teachers Village
• East Africa Exchange

Nicolas Berggruen's major achievements include:

• Founding Berggruen Holdings and making over 100 direct control and real estate investments globally
• Co-founding Alpha Investment Management
• Bringing Karstadt out of bankruptcy
• Launching Freedom Acquisitions and buying a stake in GLG Partners
• Acquiring Pearl Insurance
• Buying a majority stake in Prisa
• Launching Justice Holding and taking a stake in Burger King Worldwide, Inc.
• Acquiring residential and commercial real estate across the world
• Founding NBP Capital
• Investing in Teachers Village in Newark, New Jersey
• Investing in the East Africa Exchange

Nicolas Berggruen has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:

• Appointed as Harvard's Center for European Studies' first non-resident Senior Fellow in 2013
• Honored by NYU Stern at the 2016 Haskins Giving Society Award Dinner
• Received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2018

Nicolas Berggruen gained attention in the early 2000s for selling off residential properties and belongings, earning him the nickname "the homeless billionaire." He lived in different hotels with only a small bag of clothes and his BlackBerry. However, in 2012, he purchased several apartments in the Sierra Towers.

Nicolas Berggruen currently resides in Los Angeles.

In 2017, he bought a 20,000 sq ft home in Holmby Hills for $42 million. In 2021, he acquired the Gordon Kaufmann-designed Hearst estate in Beverly Hills for $63.1 million, renaming it the Beverly Estate in 2022. Nicolas Berggruen dated Noor Alfallah in 2018.

Nicolas Berggruen is an avid art collector and has served as the Head of the Board of the Berggruen Museum in Berlin. He is also a member of various art councils and boards. In 2021, he signed a preliminary agreement to purchase the Casa dei Tre Oci in Venice, and in 2022, he bought the Palazzo Diedo in the Cannaregio district.