Sam Nazarian
Sam Nazarian | |
|---|---|
سام نظریان | |
| Born | 1975 (age 50–51) |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupations | Founder & CEO of SBE Entertainment Group |
| Spouse | Emina Cunmulaj |
| Parent | Younes Nazarian |
| Relatives | Izak Parviz Nazarian (uncle) David Nazarian (brother) Angella Nazarian (sister-in-law) Shulamit Nazarian (sister) |
| Website | SBE.com |
Sam Nazarian (Persian: سام نظریان; born 1975) is an Iranian American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of SBE Entertainment Group, a lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages, and operates hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs globally.
In 2023, Nazarian expanded his ventures by launching HQ Hotels & Residences, a hospitality brand in alliance with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.[1] In 2024, Nazarian worked with Tony Robbins to open a hotel brand called The Estate.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Nazarian was born in 1975 into a Persian Jewish family in Tehran, Iran. He is the son of Younes Nazarian, an entrepreneur who built a construction empire in Iran before fleeing to the United States following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. They settled in Beverly Hills, California. Younes co-founded Omninet and became a major shareholder of Qualcomm.[3][4]
Sam Nazarian attended Beverly Hills High School, graduating in 1993, and later studied at the University of Southern California. After donating $200,000 to the Beverly Hills Athletic Alumni Association, the Beverly Hills High School basketball court was renamed Sam Nazarian Court.[5]
Business career
[edit]SBE Entertainment Group
[edit]In 2002, he founded SBE Entertainment Group, focusing on hospitality ventures.[6]
Under Nazarian's leadership, SBE expanded to include brands such as SLS Hotels, Hyde Lounge, and Katsuya. Katsuya is a partnership with master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi and French designer Philippe Starck, which has an initial location in Los Angeles and expanded into locations in Bahamas, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates.
In 2020, he sold the remaining 50% stake of SBE's hotel platform to Accor Hotels but retained its food and beverage operations.[7]
In 2014, a Nevada Gaming Control Board investigation found that Nazarian had used drugs and paid a convicted felon, resulting in a conditional one-year gaming license and the loss of operational control of SLS Las Vegas.[8][9] This eventually resulted in Stockbridge Capital purchasing his remaining stake in 2015.[10] In 2015, investors sued Nazarian over an $8 million investment in the SLS South Beach hotel in Miami, alleging financial misrepresentation, which Nazarian denied.[11][12]
In 2023, Nazarian re-entered the hotel industry by launching HQ Hotels & Residences through an alliance with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. This initiative focuses on hospitality experiences through dining, nightlife, and wellness.[13]
The first HQ Hotels & Residences locations are planned in Montreux, Switzerland, and Detroit, Michigan. The Montreux property, The HQ Montreux Hotel & Spa, will feature 155 rooms and 42 residences. The Detroit property, HQ Detroit Hotel & Spa, will offer 174 guestrooms.[14]
The Estate
[edit]In 2024, Nazarian worked with Tony Robbins to open a hotel brand called The Estate. The Estate is focused on longevity science and offers health diagnostics, wellness coaching, and advanced blood analysis among other services.[2]
The hotel is partnered with Robbins' diagnostic firm Fountain Life which does luxury medical testing. The hotel will open in 13 locations across the U.S. with the first location opening in Los Angeles.[15]
Personal life
[edit]Nazarian is married to American model Emina Cunmulaj. The couple has been involved in philanthropic efforts.[16]
Film career
[edit]Nazarian has been involved in film production as an executive producer. His credits include Waiting..., Down in the Valley, Five Fingers, The Last Time, Mr. Brooks, and College.[17]
Board memberships and recognitions
[edit]From 2008 to 2011, Nazarian served on the board of trustees of the Southern California Institute of Architecture. In July 2009, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed him to the Board of Airport Commissioners of Los Angeles World Airports.
In 2014, Nazarian was named to Fortune's 40 Under 40 list and he was the 2014 Make-A-Wish Foundation Man of the Year.[18][19]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Sam Nazarian's SBE Forms Strategic Alliance with Wyndham". Wyndham Hotels. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- 1 2 Klich, Tanya Benedicto. "The Estate By Sam Nazarian And Tony Robbins Appoints First 'Chief Longevity Officer'". Forbes. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Bloomberg: "Sam Nazarian Wants You to Sleep with Him" By Karl Taro Greenfeld December 1, 2011
- ↑ "Younes Nazarian, an Iranian Jewish philanthropist who galvanized Israel support, dies at 91". The Forward. March 19, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ Ceasar, Stephen (February 3, 2015). "Along with his name on Beverly Hills campuses, donor buys controversy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ↑ "SBE Entertainment Group". Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Accor takes full ownership of SBE hotel brands". Accor. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Sam Nazarian gives up control of SLS Las Vegas after drug use admission". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ↑ Martín, Hugo (December 18, 2014). "Sam Nazarian wins casino license, must submit to random drug testing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Sam Nazarian's exit from SLS Las Vegas". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Hotel mogul Sam Nazarian sued over Miami hotel deal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ↑ Staff, T. R. D. (January 19, 2017). "SBE Entertainment Group gears up for trial over hotel sale". The Real Deal. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- ↑ "HQ Hotels: Sam Nazarian's New Venture". Hotels Magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ↑ "HQ Hotels Expanding Globally". Hotels Magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ↑ "A new wellness hotel brand is focused on preventative medicine". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Sam Nazarian and Philanthropy". Hotels Magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Sam Nazarian - Rotten Tomatoes". Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Fortune 40 Under 40". Fortune. Retrieved January 31, 2025.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Magazine, Food & Beverage (November 7, 2019). "Q&A with sbe CEO Sam Nazarian". Food & Beverage Magazine. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
Sam Nazarian at IMDb
- Living people
- 1975 births
- American chief executives of travel and tourism industry companies
- Film producers from Los Angeles
- American investors
- American people of Iranian-Jewish descent
- University of Southern California alumni
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- Iranian emigrants to the United States
- Nazarian family
- American restaurateurs
- Businesspeople from Beverly Hills, California
- Businesspeople from Tehran
- Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in the United States
- American philanthropists
- Mass media people from Beverly Hills, California
- Mass media people from Los Angeles
- Iranian expatriates in the United States
- Iranian people
- Iranian refugees