Eli Gindi

Eli Gindi is an American real estate developer, investor, and founding partner of Gindi Capital, a New York City-based family-owned real estate investment and development firm.

Early life and family background Eli Gindi belongs to the third generation of the Gindi family, a Syrian Jewish (Sephardic) family that immigrated to the United States. His family legacy includes co-founding the Century 21 department store chain in 1961, starting as an off-price luxury fashion retailer in lower Manhattan and expanding to 13 locations before filing for bankruptcy in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The family shifted focus to real estate, building a portfolio in retail, multifamily, and mixed-use properties.

Key projects and transactions include: The BLVD development on the Las Vegas Strip—a 400,000-square-foot, three-level retail and dining complex with 700 feet of frontage, developed in partnership with the Cherng Family Trust (co-founders of Panda Express). Acquired sites like the former Hawaiian Marketplace in 2019 for $172 million, the project targets mid-tier flagship retailers (e.g., Adidas, H&M, Puma, JD Sports, Pandora) and eateries, including a large In-N-Out Burger location. Gindi along with Stanley Chera, Joseph Jemal, and Albert Laboz is leading the redevelopment of the Fulton Mall in downtown Brooklyn. Gindi has also been associated with Gindi Equities, a multifamily-focused investment platform anchored by the family, targeting properties in the Southeast and Midwest.

Politics

During Donald Trump's second term as US president, private jets owned by shell companies connected to Gindi and Joseph Nakash were used for at least 8 flights deporting migrants from the United States, including deportations to third countries where those migrants had no ties, and where they were held in indefinite detention.

Personal life Gindi resides in Brooklyn, New York. In November 2025, he sold his Gravesend mansion for $32 million in an off-market deal to Victor Hakim (founder and CEO of Choice Home Warranty). The transaction set a record as the most expensive single-family home sale in Brooklyn history, surpassing the prior record of $25.5 million (set in 2020 for a home in Brooklyn Heights).