Dan Kodsi

Founder, CEO, Royal Palm Companies, Participant Capital

Kodsi built Royal Palm Companies into a residential and hotel development powerhouse over the past 30-plus years, maintaining cordial relations and an affable demeanor despite working in cutthroat segments of South Florida’s market. 

Miami-based Royal Palm’s portfolio spans roughly $4.7 billion of assets, including over 9,500 units and 18 million square feet. Signature condo projects include Miami’s 346-unit Paramount Bay, the 95-unit Paramount Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach’s 66-unit Esplanade Grand. Royal Palm has projects across Florida and hotels in Puerto Rico, and developed the 569-unit Paramount Miami Worldcenter condo tower. 

Yet, the firm’s scale and Kodsi’s affability hasn’t meant immunity from financial woes. Construction of the 50-story Legacy Hotel & Residences at Miami Worldcenter — 310 condos, 219 hotel keys and a Blue Zones medical and wellness center — stalled due to design issues and piling liens from contractors and subcontractors. The project remained stuck in litigation at the start of this year. Construction lender Monarch Alternative Capital claims Royal Palm hasn’t paid its debts. Kodsi accuses Monarch of “financial sabotage” tied to their joint Cocoa Beach project in which Monarch tried to “wipe out” Royal Palm’s equity but was forced to back down, prompting its takeover of Legacy’s loan and subsequent suit in 2025. 

Kodsi has kept moving. He launched Miami-based investor Participant Capital in 2011 and a $250 million Sun Belt equity fund in 2023. He is planning a rival project to the Aventura Mall with a 10-acre, mixed-use complex in that city.