Steve and Alex Witkoff

Steve Witkoff is the man to call in a crisis.

Before President Donald Trump tapped the founder and former CEO of the Witkoff Group to negotiate peace in the Middle East, he was known among lenders as the guy who could right the ship at a struggling project. 

With roughly four decades under his belt, Witkoff has earned his place among the titans shaping the New York City skyline. In the 1980s, Witkoff shelved his law degree and started buying up properties in Washington Heights and in his birthplace, the Bronx, with the late Larry Gluck. A decade later, Witkoff launched his own eponymous development firm. With projects such as 111 Murray Street in Tribeca and 150 Charles in the West Village, Witkoff Group helped redefine the luxury condo market in Downtown Manhattan, which is now one of the most desirable pockets of the city. 

When Trump, a longtime friend, appointed Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East, he left the company to his son, Alex, who was already serving as co-CEO after a decade with the firm. Now at the helm, Alex is overseeing the sellout of One High Line, a project he and his dad rescued from HFZ Capital in 2018 after its collapse. Under Alex’s watch, the project has nabbed over $1 billion in sales so far, including two $40 million-plus deals for its penthouses. 

— Sheridan Wall