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Roy Donahue “Don” Peebles (born March 2, 1960) is a real estate entrepreneur, author and political activist. Peebles is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Peebles Corporation, the largest African American-owned real estate development and ownership company in the US, with a multi-billion dollar development portfolio of luxury hotels, high-rise residential and commercial properties in New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Miami Beach. Peebles' company has previously owned property near San Francisco in California.

Peebles and his firm have been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Ebony, The Miami Herald, CNBC and ABC, and he appears regularly as a guest host or commentator on CNBC, CNN and Fox to advise on real estate, economic and political issues. In May 2009, Forbes listed Peebles in the top ten of the wealthiest black Americans, and in January 2015 it estimated his net worth to be over $700 million.

Background

Peebles was born in Washington, D.C. to Ruth Yvonne Willoughby and Roy Donahue Peebles Sr. His grandfather was a doorman at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in Washington D.C. Peebles has said that assisting his father as car mechanic while still a child contributed to his strong work ethic. At the age of eight, Peebles moved to Detroit, where he spent five years until returning to Washington D.C. and completed high-school while serving as a Congressional Page.

Career

In 1979, after completing his freshman year as a premed student at Rutgers University —he did not complete his degree— Peebles became a real estate sales agent and appraiser in Washington, D.C. On January 9, 1983, at the age of 23, he established RDP Corporation, a residential and commercial real estate appraisal firm. Later that year, he was appointed to Washington’s Board of Equalization and Review, the real estate tax appeals board currently known as the Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals. One year later, when Peebles was 24, Washington’s Mayor Marion Barry appointed him Chairperson of the Board where he served until 1988.

In 1986, Peebles acquired the rights for his first real estate development: a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m) Class-A office building at 2100 Martin Luther King Ave. SE. The building was the first new major commercial building built in the Anacostia section of Washington, D.C. in decades. Peebles was 27 when the project broke ground.

In 1990, Peebles founded RDP Assessment Appeals Services, a Washington-based commercial tax assessment appeals firm. Peebles continued to acquire commercial buildings and development sites in Washington, D.C. throughout the 1990s, including 10 G Street NE, and the Convention Center Courtyard by Marriott.

In 1995, while on vacation with his family in Miami Beach, Peebles learned of the city’s plans to solicit bids for the redevelopment of the 1930s Royal Palm hotel. Peebles won the project, developing it into a a 420-room and suite ocean-front resort consisting of three towers, in the heart of Miami Beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. A few years later, he relocated his corporate headquarters to Miami. Other Miami projects include The Residences at The Bath Club, a luxury residential tower.

In November 2010, Peebles' company was sued by D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles for alleged overbilling; Peebles says the charges are politically motivated. The suit was settled in November 2012 by Nickles’ successor, D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan.

Peebles is currently considering building a casino in Philadelphia and owns a majority stake in the Mardi Gras Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Awards

In 2004, Peebles was elected as chairman of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been recognized by various organizations for his leadership and innovation. Also in 2004, the Peebles Corporation was recognized by Black Enterprise as "Company of the Year."

He has received numerous awards over the last 25 years for his entrepreneurial leadership, community service efforts and development abilities. Peebles’ most recent awards include Entrepreneur of the Year presented by Rev. Jesse Jackson at the 11th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit; Corporate Citizen Award from One Hundred Black Men of New York; the NV Award for Entrepreneurship; the Hennessy Privilege Award for extraordinary community contributions; induction to the Martin Luther King International Board of Renaissance Leaders Hall of Fame at Morehouse College in Atlanta; the Reginald F. Lewis Award for Entrepreneurship; and Corporate Honoree at Amsterdam News’ 100th Anniversary Gala alongside Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Congressman Charles Rangel and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Peebles has also been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Johnson & Wales University and Sojourner-Douglass College.

Politics

Peebles is a lifelong Democrat but has demonstrated his independence by challenging Democratic leaders on key issues such as taxes. At the age of 14, he volunteered for Council of the District of Columbia Chair Sterling Tucker’s campaign during the summer of 1974. From 1976 to 1978, Peebles attended the United States Capitol Page School at the Library of Congress. He served as a page, a legislative intern in the offices of Representative Ronald V. Dellums (D-Calif) and Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY), and served as a staff aide to Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich).

Mr. and Mrs. Peebles have supported various congressional, mayoral, gubernatorial, and presidential candidates over the years. In the early 1990s, Washington Business Journal wrote an article citing Peebles as one of the “top fundraisers” in the city. In 1992, he hosted Presidential hopeful and Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton in his home for a fundraiser, and Peebles was invited to Arkansas to attend the economic summit held during the Clinton-Gore transition period. Peebles currently serves as a member of President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee where he has established himself as one of the campaign’s leading fundraisers in the nation. Peebles hosted President Obama at his home in Washington D.C. for a campaign fundraiser on August 8, 2011.

In 2010, he considered running to become mayor of Washington, but he decided against a run due to his mother-in-law's illness. Peebles' mother-in-law died later that year.

In 2013, Peebles was elected Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Writing

• The Peebles Principles: Tales and Tactics from an Entrepreneur's Life of Winning Deals, Succeeding in Business, and Creating a Fortune from Scratch. R. Donahue Peebles with J. P. Faber. John Wiley and Sons (2007). ISBN 0-470-09930-5.
• The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth: How to Make Money in Any Market. R. Donahue Peebles with J. P. Faber. John Wiley and Sons (2008). ISBN 0-470-37280-X.

Personal life

Peebles moved to New York City in September 2011 and maintains residences in Coral Gables, Bridgehampton and Washington D.C. His wife Katrina, whom he married in 1994, is a former PR executive and model that serves on the Board of Directors of the Peebles Corporation. His children, a son and a daughter, live in New York City. His son currently attends Columbia University and is a part-time employee at the The Peebles Corporation, where he is working on a hotel and condo development in Washington, D.C. His daughter is a top equestrian competitor.

References

1. ^ Hughes, Allan (June 2004). "The Prince of South Beach: R. Donahue Peebles has built a real estate empire with the posh and a pipeline of deals in South Florida. And he's not finished yet". Black Enterprise. Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc., hosted on BNET. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
2. ^ Schwartzman, Paul; Nikita Stewart (6 January 2010). "Millionaire Peebles says he won't run for mayor of D.C." Washington Post. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
3. Marino, Vivian (May 14, 2013). "The 30-Minute Interview: R. Donahue Peebles". The New York Times.
4. ^ "Peebles' Perspective". Leaders Magazine. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
5. Miller, Matthew (6 May 2009). "In Pictures: The Wealthiest Black Americans". Forbes. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
6. Sorvino, Chloe (27 January 2015). "Successful African American Real Estate Mogul Inches Closer to Billionaire Status". Forbes. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
7. Smith, Timothy (22 December 2010). "Roy D. Peebles Sr., 80: Federal employee, mechanic". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
8. O'Connell, Jonathan (1 January 2012). "Peebles Corp. won't bid on Stevens Elementary". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
9. "Roy Donahue Peebles, Sr". Washington Informer. 30 January 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
10. Peebles, R. Donahue (2007). The Peebles Principles. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-470-09930-8.
11. Peebles, R. Donahue (2007). The Peebles Principles. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 3, 4. ISBN 978-0-470-09930-8.
12. "Billionaire entrepreneur considers bid for mayor". The Georgetown Current. October 21, 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
13. Portlock, Sarah (June 2, 2008). "Don Peebles: Seeking a fast climb up the ladder". The Real Deal. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
14. Cubé, Christine (October 28, 2002). "Peebles turns up heat". The Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
15. Kellner, Tomas (April 15, 2002). "Making A Splash" (PDF). Forbes. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
16. Woodlee, Yolanda (May 24, 2007). "From a Native Son, Politics of Getting Rich". The Washington Post. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Text "http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/23/AR2007052300603.html" ignored (help)
17. Fischer, Ben (10 November 2010). "D.C. sues Peebles' company". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
18. Neibauer, Michael (20 November 2012). "D.C. settles civil case against partnership co-led by R. Donahue Peebles". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
19. Parmley, Suzette (June 1, 2012). "Leading developer sets sights on a Phila. casino". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
20. Stutz, Howard (August 6, 2010). "Miami Company envisions $2 billion project". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
21. Hughes, Alan (November 1, 2009). "The Master Builder Strikes Again". Black Enterprise. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
22. "R. Donahue Peebles". The Peebles Corproation. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
23. Goodman, Alana (July 12, 2012). "Obama's Tax Plan Irking Donors?". Commentary Magazine. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
24. "Fresh Eyes on Manhattan". The Observer. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
25. ^ "Katrina L. Peebles". The Peebles Corporation. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
26. Ward, Jon (July 11, 2012). "R. Donahue Peebles, Obama Fundraiser, Says Attacks on Romney Woke 'Sleeping Giant'". Huffington Post. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
27. . Congressional Black Caucus Foundation http://www.cbcfinc.org/103-news-releases/2013-archive/665-cbcf-announces-new-president-ceo-and-chair-of-board-of-directors.html/. Retrieved 27 February 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
28. Sederstrom, Jotham (8 November 2011). "Fresh Eyes on Manhattan". New York Observer. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
29. Dahle, Stephanie (17 November 2008). "Briefing Book: Don Peebles". Forbes. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
30. "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". WhiteHouse.gov. September 13, 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
31. "Dynasties: A Son's Positive Influence". The Wall Street Journal. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
32. "2012 Competition Results". United States Equestrian Federation. Retrieved 24 September 2012.

External links

• The Peebles Corporation
• Fried, John (1 March 2005). "How I Did It: R. Donahue Peebles". Inc. Magazine. Retrieved 5 December 2010.

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• 1961 births
• American business writers
• American activists
• Living people
• Real estate and property developers
• African-American businesspeople
• Writers from Washington, D.C.
• African-American non-fiction writers
• American real estate businesspeople