How's this for a first-world problem: Two billionaires nearly got into a fistfight at a real estate meeting in New York over a 421-a tax exemption. Thug life.
One of the billionaires just happened to be Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who seems to be pretty feisty at 75 years old.
According to Crain's New York Business, via the Palm Beach Post, Ross and Rob Speyer, a 46-year-old president and CEO of Tishman Speyer, got in a heated argument at the Real Estate Board of New York’s executive committee ("a who’s who of landlords and top executives," Crain's said), and nearly came to blows. Speyer's company owns the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center, among other holdings, according to Crain's. Ross is the chairman of his own real-estate business, Related Cos.
Long story short (because there's nothing more exciting than hearing a drawn out tale about why billionaires are fighting over tax exemptions so they can make even more money), the tax exemption program developers want to build affordable housing expired at the end of last year. Speyer asked if anyone wanted to negotiate with the unions to reinstate the program. Ross objected, and Speyer wasn't happy with that. After the meeting, Speyer reportedly went up to Ross, who "jumped out of his seat" according to Crain's, and according to witnesses delivered a line that Dolphins fans are sure to enjoy.
“This isn’t the NFL,” Ross screamed, according to Crain's. “I’m not going to be pushed around.”
A source close to Ross told the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero that Ross never made a reference to the NFL in any comments.
The two were separated, as it appeared the argument was about to get physical. Stephen Ross is the biggest boss that you've seen thus far, apparently. Ross hasn't experienced much success in the NFL, which probably bothers him to no end. It doesn't seem like he's used to losing very often in his business ventures.
But hey, if the Dolphins take on the personality of their owner, at least they'll be ready to go down swinging.
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