John A. Sobrato
Atherton, California
Bachelor of Arts/Science, Santa Clara University
United States
Sobrato Development Cos.
7
real estate, Self Made
$6,700,000,000
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#244 Billionaires 2019
#79 Forbes 400 2018
Real estate mogul John A. Sobrato began selling homes in Palo Alto while he was still a student at Santa Clara University.He later worked with his mother to develop industrial properties, and founded his own real estate company in 1979.The Sobrato Organization owns over 7 million square feet of office space across Silicon Valley, with tenants like Netflix, and about 6,500 apartments.Sobrato is chairman emeritus of his Cupertino-based firm, while his son, John M. Sobrato, serves as chairman of the board.In 2017, he pledged $100 million to Santa Clara University, his alma mater, for a new STEM education center.
Sobrato's mom started the family's real estate empire in the 1950s, when she sold her late husband's restaurant and bought property south of San Francisco. Sobrato aspired to be an engineer but almost flunked out of college; he switched his major to business and was on the dean's list every semester thereafter.
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