He turned a Florida swamp into one of America’s richest cities | Don Soffer

What kind of man looks at 800 acres of mosquito-infested swampland and sees high-end apartments, a golf course, and a luxury shopping mall? 

In 1967, Don Soffer made the biggest bet of his life: transforming undeveloped wetlands into what would become Aventura, one of Florida’s most iconic and extravagant communities. In this episode of Big Shot, Harley and David sit down with the 92-year-old visionary to hear how it all happened—straight from the source.

From convincing the Florida governor to back his development plan (after a well-timed flight to Tallahassee) to bringing in golf legend Robert Trent Jones to design a course, Don sold a dream that turned into a $4 billion reality. He built Turnberry resort, launched Aventura Mall, and packed them with celebrities—from Elton John to Madonna and John McEnroe.

Decades before “influencer marketing” was a thing, Don was using star power to shape a city.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The environmental pushback Don faced after buying swampland—and how he got the green light from the governor of Florida after chartering a jet and flying to Tallahassee

• Don’s celebrity-packed playbook: how he used influencers before we even had a word for it

• Don’s take on why Jewish people have become such successful entrepreneurs

• Don’s definition of common sense—and approach to solving complex problems with simplicity

• Why he says it’s a privilege to have a hard problem to solve

• His advice for the next generation of Jewish entrepreneurs

• And much more!

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In This Episode We Cover:

(00:00) Intro

(02:07) How Don accidentally swallowed his dad’s glass eye

(03:03) Don’s early work building shopping malls with his father

(05:01) Why Don trusted his intuition and took a chance on developing swampland in Florida

(09:04) How Don got the governor of Florida on board to green light his project

(11:00) Early influencers: How Don leveraged the power of celebrities 

(14:25) Building Aventura Mall

(19:27) Don’s common-sense approach 

(21:52) Don’s relationship with his father 

(24:00) Why Don says it’s terrible to run a family business

(25:11) Don’s current roles and how he set his kids up 

(27:01) Don’s explanation for the success of the Jewish people 

(29:37) A dinner with Frank Sinatra 

(31:44) Advice for young Jewish entrepreneurs 

(33:37) Where Don got his confidence and conviction 

(35:06) How Don saved the Pittsburgh Mall after the excavator destroyed private property 

(37:50) Don’s thoughts on when to sell and when not to

(40:05) Don’s friendship with Tony Bennett 

(41:21) How to cultivate strong business relationships

(43:49) Don’s advice to future generations of Soffers 

(45:52) Why Don still thinks Florida is a good place to develop 

(46:42) Closing

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