Long Term Players

Sam Zell passed away at the age of 81 this month. Zell was a billionaire real estate investor and former owner of the Chicago Tribune. Zell was known for his aggressive investing style and his outspoken personality. He was also a generous philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to various causes.

But he wasn’t that aggressive.

In 2019 he spoke about his career, dealmaking, and investing at the University of Michigan. One student asked what he attributed his success to. Zell replied, “I think that a great deal of my financial success is directly related to the fact that we’ve been long-term players.”

Sam had a long-term perspective.

We all should.

There are “one night stands” but do those successes have any true depth?

Instead, it is the long-term, win-win, in-this-together spirit that leads to real gains.

So, follow Sam’s suggestion and become “a professional opportunist”. But do it in a long-term way.

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