Michael Dezer
Founder and Chairman
Miami Connection
Dezer owns extensive oceanfront property in Sunny Isles Beach, including resorts like Travelodge Monaco Beach and Days Hotel Thunderbird, and holds development rights for over 30 acres, significantly shaping the area's luxury skyline. His partnerships with Trump and others produced iconic high-rises like Trump Towers and Porsche Design Tower, boosting tourism and real estate prestige. He established the Miami Auto Museum, showcasing over 1,000 vehicles and attracting visitors, while expanding car attractions to Fort Lauderdale, enhancing South Florida's entertainment and cultural offerings.
About
Born Michael Dezertzov in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a working-class family, he served in the Israeli Air Force before immigrating to the U.S. in 1962, where he worked in advertising and started a typesetting business. In 1970, he founded Dezer Properties in New York City, pioneering the redevelopment of Chelsea from a manufacturing district into a hub for fashion, offices, and luxury lofts, amassing over 1.3 million square feet of commercial space. In the 1980s, he expanded to South Florida, acquiring over 27 oceanfront acres in Sunny Isles Beach and partnering with Donald Trump on major projects like Trump Towers, Trump Grande Ocean Resort, and Trump International Hotel and Tower. Alongside his son Gil, he developed the Porsche Design Tower featuring the patented Dezervator car elevator. Dezer is also a prolific car collector with one of the world's largest private collections, displayed across museums including the Miami Auto Museum in North Miami.