- Company
- Starwood Capital Group
- Role
- Founder, Chairman & CEO
- Est. Net Worth
- $4.5 Billion
- Stage
- Elite
- Industry
- Hospitality
Barry Sternlicht
Founder, Chairman & CEO at Starwood Capital Group
About
Barry Sternlicht founded Starwood Capital Group in 1991 and built it into one of the world's largest private real estate and investment firms. He also created Starwood Hotels & Resorts, launching the W Hotels brand before the hotel company was sold to Marriott.
Current Company
Starwood Capital Group — Founder, Chairman & CEO
The Hotel Visionary Who Created W
Barry Sternlicht founded Starwood Capital Group in 1991 and went on to build Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the hospitality company that launched W Hotels, one of the most influential hotel brands of the past three decades. Barry Sternlicht, a Harvard MBA, saw that the hotel industry was ripe for lifestyle branding — the idea that a hotel could be a destination in itself, not just a place to sleep. W Hotels blended nightlife, design, and hospitality in a way that created an entirely new category.
Barry Sternlicht eventually sold Starwood Hotels to Marriott in a deal valued at over $13 billion, but retained Starwood Capital Group, which he has grown into one of the world’s largest private real estate investment firms with over $115 billion in assets under management. Barry Sternlicht’s career spans hospitality, real estate, finance, and brand building — a rare combination that has made him one of the most influential figures across multiple industries.