Richard Ressler is one of those names that shows up constantly in real estate and finance circles, yet most of what’s written about him online barely scratches the surface. He’s the co-founder and current Chairman, CEO, and President of CIM Group, Inc. — a real assets platform managing more than $30 billion in property, credit, and infrastructure investments.
This guide covers everything worth knowing about him: his career path, how CIM Group came together, his other business interests, his family connections (including his well-known brother), and the questions people search for most.
Quick Facts About Richard Ressler
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Richard S. Ressler |
| Born | July 1958 |
| Nationality | American |
| Known For | Co-founding CIM Group |
| Current Role | Chairman, CEO & President, CIM Group, Inc. |
| CIM Group Founded | 1994 (with Shaul Kuba and Avi Shemesh) |
| Other Ventures | Founder, Orchard Capital Corporation; Co-founder, OCV Management |
| Board Roles | Non-Executive Chairman, Ziff Davis, Inc.; Chairman, Creative Media & Community Trust (CMCT) |
| Education | B.A., Brown University; J.D. & M.B.A., Columbia University |
| Early Career | Started as a corporate attorney, later moved into investment banking, then took on an executive role at a NYSE-listed holding company |
| Spouse | Alison Ressler, Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell |
| Brother | Tony Ressler, co-founder of Ares Management and owner of the Atlanta Hawks |
Early Life and Education
Ressler’s academic path wasn’t a straight line. He started at the University of Michigan before transferring to Brown University, where he completed his undergraduate degree.
From there, he headed to Columbia University, earning both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Business Administration. That legal-and-finance combination is unusual, and it shaped the way he’d later approach deal structuring, governance, and capital allocation throughout his career.
Career Before CIM Group
Before real estate ever entered the picture, Ressler built a résumé that reads like a classic Wall Street origin story.
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore (starting 1983): He began as a corporate attorney, working on public offerings, private placements, and M&A transactions.
- Drexel Burnham Lambert: He moved into investment banking during one of the most transformative eras for leveraged finance and high-yield debt in American markets.
- Brooke Group Limited (1988–1994): He served as Vice Chairman, gaining hands-on experience in corporate management and capital allocation rather than just advisory work.
In 1994, he founded Orchard Capital Corporation, a private investment vehicle he still oversees today. Orchard Capital has extended into real estate, credit, and technology investing, including ties to CIM Group and other affiliated platforms.
How CIM Group Was Founded
Also in 1994, Ressler partnered with Shaul Kuba and Avi Shemesh to launch CIM Group. Kuba and Shemesh had emigrated from Israel and originally ran a landscaping business together before moving into real estate — an unlikely origin story for a firm that would eventually manage tens of billions of dollars.
Their shared strategy was different from typical real estate investing at the time. Instead of buying isolated buildings, CIM focused on entire urban communities where shifting demographics and infrastructure trends could unlock long-term value.
Downtown Los Angeles: CIM’s Proving Ground
Downtown Los Angeles became CIM’s signature early bet. Starting in the early 2000s, the firm invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the area, developing projects like:
- Flower Street Lofts
- Gas Company Lofts
- Market Lofts, anchored by a Ralphs supermarket — the first full grocery store to open in Downtown LA in decades
That grocery store detail mattered more than it sounds. Bringing a supermarket back downtown was seen as a turning point that made residential conversions in the area actually livable.
Expanding Beyond Downtown LA
CIM’s portfolio grew well past its original footprint. In 2004, the company acquired the Hollywood & Highland complex, the entertainment and retail center connected to the Dolby Theatre, before later selling that portion after years of repositioning.
Over time, CIM’s reach extended to major markets across the country and internationally, with connections to properties such as Tribune Tower in Chicago, Centennial Yards in Atlanta, and other large-scale developments across the Americas and Western Europe.
The 2026 Combination With CIM Real Estate Finance Trust
In June 2026, CIM Real Estate Finance Trust (CMFT), a publicly registered non-traded REIT managed by CIM, completed a major restructuring. CMFT acquired CIM Group, LLC’s real assets management business and investment portfolio, forming a single combined company.
Under the deal:
- CIM Group, LLC received roughly 67.5% voting and economic ownership of the new entity
- Existing CMFT shareholders retained the remaining 32.5%
- The combined business took on the name CIM Group, Inc.
- The company stepped away from REIT tax status to operate as a diversified owner, operator, lender, developer, and real assets manager
Ressler continued on as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the newly combined company, which now operates across five platforms: Real Estate, Credit, Infrastructure, Opportunity Zones, and Strategic Opportunities.
Other Business and Board Roles
Ressler’s involvement stretches well beyond CIM Group’s core real estate business.
- Ziff Davis, Inc. (formerly j2 Global): He has served as Non-Executive Chairman of the board for years, overseeing governance while Vivek Shah has run day-to-day operations as CEO.
- Creative Media & Community Trust (CMCT): He chairs the board of this publicly traded REIT, which invests primarily in creative office and residential properties.
- OCV Management: Co-founded in 2016, this venture-focused platform invests in technology companies.
- Orchard First Source Asset Management: A lending and credit-focused business connected to Orchard Capital.
He also holds professional designations as a Certified Public Accountant (inactive status) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Family: Wife, Children, and His Famous Brother
Ressler’s family has deep roots in finance, though he’s kept a noticeably lower public profile than some of his relatives.
He’s married to Alison Ressler, a partner at the international law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, who also earned her degrees from Brown and Columbia. The couple has four children together.
His brother is Tony Ressler, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management and Ares Management, and the principal owner of the Atlanta Hawks. Their sister, Debra Ressler, a Broadway producer, is married to Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black.
While Tony’s career and sports ownership have made him a far more recognizable public figure, Richard has built his reputation more quietly, largely through CIM Group and its long list of real estate and infrastructure projects.
Philanthropy and the Milwaukee Brewers Connection
Richard and Alison Ressler direct their charitable giving through the Ressler Family Foundation, with a focus on education, health, and justice-related causes, much of it concentrated in the Los Angeles area. Both are active supporters of their respective alma maters, Brown and Columbia.
Outside of business and philanthropy, Ressler has a personal connection to baseball. He’s part of the investment group that backed Mark Attanasio’s acquisition of the Milwaukee Brewers, a relationship that traces back to a friendship the two formed during their university years, long before either built a career in finance.
Richard Ressler’s Net Worth
A precise net worth figure for Richard Ressler is difficult to pin down, and that’s by design more than by accident. Unlike executives who run publicly traded companies with disclosed compensation and stock holdings, Ressler’s wealth is tied up in privately held stakes across CIM Group, Orchard Capital, and various affiliated entities.
What’s verifiable is scale, not a personal number: CIM Group, Inc. now manages more than $30 billion in assets across its real estate, credit, and infrastructure platforms. His ownership interest in that platform, built over more than 30 years, is presumably a significant part of his overall wealth — but any specific dollar figure circulating online should be treated as an estimate, not a confirmed fact.
Frequently Asked Questions About Richard Ressler
Who is Richard Ressler?
Richard Ressler is an American investor and business executive who co-founded CIM Group in 1994 alongside Shaul Kuba and Avi Shemesh. He now serves as Chairman, CEO, and President of CIM Group, Inc.
What is Richard Ressler’s connection to Tony Ressler?
Tony Ressler, co-founder of Ares Management and owner of the Atlanta Hawks, is Richard Ressler’s brother. The two built separate careers in different corners of private investing.
What companies has Richard Ressler led or chaired?
Beyond CIM Group, he serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Ziff Davis, Inc. (formerly j2 Global) and as Chairman of Creative Media & Community Trust (CMCT). He also founded Orchard Capital Corporation and co-founded OCV Management.
Did Richard Ressler go to law school?
Yes. He earned his Juris Doctor along with an M.B.A. from Columbia University, after completing his undergraduate degree at Brown University.
What happened with CIM Group and CIM Real Estate Finance Trust in 2026?
In June 2026, CIM Real Estate Finance Trust acquired CIM Group, LLC’s real assets management business, forming a combined company renamed CIM Group, Inc. CIM Group, LLC holds roughly 67.5% ownership, and Ressler continues as Chairman and CEO.
How is Richard Ressler connected to the Milwaukee Brewers?
He’s a member of the investment group that supported Mark Attanasio’s purchase of the Milwaukee Brewers, a connection rooted in a long-standing friendship between the two dating back to their college years.
Final Thoughts
Richard Ressler’s career doesn’t fit neatly into a single category — attorney, investment banker, corporate executive, real estate investor, and board chairman all describe pieces of what he’s done over the past four decades. That range is probably his biggest advantage: it’s given him the legal precision, financial discipline, and operational patience needed to build CIM Group into one of the more durable platforms in real assets investing.
He may not have the public name recognition of his brother Tony, but within institutional real estate and infrastructure circles, Richard Ressler’s influence — and the 30-plus billion dollar platform he helped build — speaks for itself.
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