Starwood exec on how he got his start

In a segment called “How I Built It,” Barry Sternlicht talked to the Wall Street Journal about how he founded Starwood Capital, the real estate investment firm that founded Starwood Hotels and Resorts and, subsequently, the W Hotels brand, which includes W Union Square – New York, and the Westin Hotels line. “I borrowed money from friends and invested what I had… and I borrowed a million dollars, which is a lot when you’re 31 and have a net worth of about $100,000,” Sternlicht said.