Who

With his brother Arthur, real estate heir Zeckendorf is co-owner of real estate conglomerates Terra Holdings and Zeckendorf Realty. The duo is best known these days for developing the supremely posh 15 Central Park West.

Backstory

The Zeckendorf family has been a force in New York real estate for over half a century. It all started with William's grandfather, William "Big Bill" Zeckendorf Sr., who developed and/or owned iconic properties inside the city and out, including the Chrysler Building, 740 Park, the parcel of land on which the UN was built, and the Century City complex in Los Angeles. The next real estate titan in the family was William's father, William Zeckendorf Jr., who in the '80s developed several projects like the David Childs-architected Worldwide Plaza and the Zeckendorf Towers at Union Square. As for WLZ, he grew up in luxury on the Upper East Side, attended Tufts, and worked for dad until his retirement in 1992. He and his brother Arthur have since expanded the family empire, most notably with the 1995 purchase of Terra Holdings, the owner of brokerages like Brown Harris Stevens and Halstead Properties, a deal carried out in partnership with fellow real estaters Kent Swig and David Burris.

Of note

As real estate developers, William and Arthur haven't done much in terms of quantity, but the few projects they have carried out have attracted widespread attention for their lavishness. In 2000, the Zecks built 515 Park Avenue, which William's corporate bio breathlessly describes as "the most luxurious apartment house built in over 50 years." (Notables who have purchased apartments in the 43-story, 38-unit building include billionaire casino mogul Phillip Ruffin, Christopher Browne, and LA Reid.) But the brothers Zeckendorf are these days better known for their much hyped 15 Central Park West. Situated on a parcel they bought for $401 million in 2004, the ultra-luxe Robert A.M. Stern-designed development consists of a 20-story tower ("The House") and a 43-story story tower ("The Tower"). A few of its many amenities: a walnut-lined private library, 20-seat screening room, 75-foot lap pool, in-house chef, and 30 individual wine cellars. Already sold out—the brothers are believed to have netted a billion-dollar profit on the building—15 CPW has attracted boldfaced tenants like Dan Loeb, Sandy Weill, Bob Costas, Lloyd Blankfein, Sting, Denzel Washington, and Daniel Och.

Upcoming

The Zeckendorfs are plotting another big-ticket development in the vein of 515 Park and 15 CPW, a 35-story condo on East 60th Street.

Family ties

Zeckendorf's maternal grandfather was the Norwegian politician Trygve Lie, who served as the first Secretary General of the UN. It was Lie and William Zeckendorf Sr.—who owned the land on which the UN was built—who arranged a first date between their son and daughter.

Personal

Zeckendorf married Laura Weiser in 1985. A lawyer, she sits on the board of directors at the School of American Ballet. Like his brother Arthur, William lives at 15 CPW.