Meet Michael Rubin, ‘your favourite billionaire’s billionaire’: he met rapper Meek Mill at an NBA game, then took over Diddy’s White Party, attended by Kim Kardashian and Leonardo DiCaprio
- Rubin grew up middle-class, but now his net worth is around US$11.5 billion; in 2011, he sold GSI Commerce to eBay for US$2.4 billion, and he also invested in NBA’s 76ers and Devils teams
- Fanatics, which the entrepreneur co-founded, is considered the global leader of sports merchandise, with deals in major leagues – but just how did he become friends with Jay-Z, Drake and Bennifer?
You know someone has got the magic touch when they can bring together athletes, rappers, celebrities and heavyweight investors. Meet Michael Rubin, the man who is always seen hanging out with stars … and yet remains an enigma himself.
But his story is actually quite simple: Rubin met rapper Meek Mill at a basketball game. They connected, got close, and then Meek went to jail for a parole violation. Rubin’s life changed as not only did he lose a pal to prison, but suddenly everyone wanted to know who he was.
Here’s everything you need to know about the man Hollywood is obsessed with.
Michael Rubin’s White Party takeover
Of course, there have been other parties with the same dress code, but nothing came close to what Diddy could put together. For that, your host needed influence, power and credibility across different spaces like business, sports and showbiz.
From middle-class to millionaire
According to a recent interview Rubin gave Vanity Fair in September, he grew up in a middle-class family in Philadelphia. He told the publication he was always selling various items while growing up and, at 26, he founded GSI Commerce, which eBay bought for US$2.4 billion in 2011.