Tamir Sapir facts for kids

Tamir Sapir (born Temur Sepiashvili; 1946/1947 – September 24, 2014) was a businessman from Georgia. He was also a real estate developer and investor. He started the Sapir Organization, a company that invests in real estate in New York City. Sapir first became rich by trading things like oil and fertilizers with the Soviet Union in the 1980s. He became a billionaire in 2002. His wealth reached its highest point in 2007, at about $2 billion.

Early Life and Moving to America

Temur Sepiashvili was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. His family was Jewish. His father was a high-ranking officer in the Soviet Army. In the early 1970s, he studied journalism at Tbilisi State University. But he had to leave school to earn money for his family. This was because his father had passed away.

In 1973, he moved to Israel with his wife. He changed his last name to Sapir there. Later, he moved to the United States. First, he lived in Louisville, Kentucky. There, he learned English and worked many jobs. He was a bus driver, a janitor, and a loader. Then, he moved to New York City. He worked as a taxicab driver. He even borrowed money to buy his taxi license.

Starting His Businesses

After driving a taxi, Tamir Sapir opened an electronics store. He started it with another immigrant, Sam Kislin. The store was called Joy Lud International Distributors. It was on Fifth Avenue in New York. Many of their customers were from Russia.

Sapir made connections with people from the Soviet Union who worked at the United Nations in New York. He began trading electronics, clothes, and shoes. In return, he got special rights to sell Soviet oil. He then sold this oil to American companies. He used the money he earned to buy buildings in Manhattan in the 1990s. At that time, real estate prices were low. By 2002, he had become a billionaire. Some people called him America's "billionaire cabbie."

In 2006, Tamir Sapir helped fund the building of the Trump SoHo in Manhattan.

The Sapir Organization

In 2006, Tamir Sapir made his son, Alex, the head of the Sapir Organization. Alex became the chairman and president of the company.

Family Life

Tamir Sapir was married two times. His first marriage was to Bella Sapir, and they later divorced. He had five children: Ruth, Zina, Alex, Zita, and Eli. His second wife was Elena Ponomareva. He also had six grandchildren: Ariana, Gabriel, David, Raquel, Sebastian, and Timur.

Tamir Sapir was a member of the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan. He also helped build the Congregation of Georgian Jews synagogue in Rego Park, Queens. He passed away on September 24, 2014, when he was 67 years old.

His daughter, Zina, married Rotem Rosen in 2007. Rotem Rosen was a CEO of a large company. Their wedding was a big event. Performers like the Pussycat Dolls and Lionel Richie were there. Donald Trump and Jared Kushner were also invited.

Tamir Sapir owned a large estate with three mansions. It was called The Fountains. It is located in Great Neck, New York.