Paul Ardaji

Film industry In 1992, Ardaji founded Roundhill Pictures Corporation and obtained the film rights to Muhammad Ali's life story. In 1992, Ardaji had visited Ali on his 50th birthday and persuaded him to allow a film to be made about his life.

Signing on with Sony Pictures, Ardaji then partnered with producer Jon Peters, who started developing the film in 1994. In addition to Ardaji and Peters, other film producers of Ali were Michael Mann, James Lassiter, and A. Kitman Ho. All five producers were given equal credit as for their roles in the film's production. In 2000, Michael Mann became director of the Ali film, which was finally released in 2001 and featured Will Smith as the main star.

Later career Later, Ardaji went into the restaurant business and founded Terra Ristorante Italiano with Boston-based chef Ken Oringer in Greenwich, Connecticut, which was featured in the New York Times. Continuing their close friendship from the 1970s, Muhammad Ali continued to visit Ardaji during Ardaji's later days as a restaurateur.

In 2005, Ardaji launched Asian fusion cuisine chain Paulimotos Asian Bistro with Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef, with locations throughout the U.S. East Coast.