Tilman Fertitta

Tilman Joseph Fertitta (born 1957) is an American billionaire businessman and television personality.

He is the chairman, CEO, and owner of Landry's, Inc. He also owns the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Houston Rockets.

Fertitta is chairman of the board of regents of the University of Houston System.

As of June 2023, his net worth was estimated at $8.4 billion.

He was placed at No. 260 on the Forbes Billionaires List.

Forbes calls him the "World's Richest Restaurateur".

Fertitta became the star of Billion Dollar Buyer on CNBC.

In the 1980s, Fertitta founded and ran a construction and development business, and developed his first major project, the Key Largo Hotel in Galveston.

Fertitta was a partner in the first Landry's Restaurant, Landry's Seafood, which opened its doors in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas, in 1980.

A year later, he helped open Willie G's Seafood & Steaks, a more upscale restaurant in Uptown Houston.

In 1986, Fertitta gained controlling interests of both locations, and in 1988, became sole owner of Landry's Restaurants.

In 1993, he took Landry's, Inc. public and the company grew quickly, adding concept after concept.

In 1993, Landry's was valued at approximately $30 million.

Landry's, Inc. first acquired the Kemah Boardwalk in 1999.

Fertitta since acquired two additional hotels on the island, including the Holiday Inn On the Beach in 2003, and the Hilton Galveston Island Resort in 2004, which stands adjacent to his San Luis Resort.

In 2004, Fertitta was elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame, becoming the second-youngest Texan to ever earn that distinction, behind only Michael Dell.

He also partnered with the City of Galveston to build the conference center in 2004 inside the resort.

Landry's first expanded to casinos in 2005 when it bought Golden Nugget Casinos, including locations in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada.

Since then, Landry's has opened casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The Golden Nugget Atlantic City was previously called the Trump Marina.

In 2010, Fertitta, who already owned the majority of Landry's, Inc. stock, purchased all outstanding shares, becoming sole owner again.

By 2011, the company's value had skyrocketed to a value of more than $1.7 billion.

His portfolio includes: The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casinos; Morton's The Steakhouse; Rainforest Cafe; Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.; McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks; Saltgrass Steak House; Claim Jumper; Chart House; The Oceanaire; Mastro's Restaurants; Grotto Restaurants, The Boathouse Restaurants and Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse.

Fertitta purchased this casino from Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2011.

The Golden Nugget Lake Charles was bought after Fertitta found a license and resort land for sale from Pinnacle Entertainment, which owns the adjacent L'Auberge du Lac Resort.

Fertitta stated he built the casino with the idea of having a casino in close proximity to his Houston hometown.

After the first year proved the casino was successful, a new 300 room tower began construction on the property.

In addition to restaurants, hotels, and casinos, Landry's also owns amusement parks, aquariums, and the Kemah Boardwalk.

In 2015, Fertitta added the Villas at San Luis section of the hotel, which consists of ultra-luxury villas with direct access to both the beach and the hotel's pool.

In June 2022, he was recognized by the International Hospitality Institute on the Global 100 in Hospitality, on a list featuring the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality.

In 2022 Fertitta acquired The Montage Laguna Beach for approximately $650 million.

On September 5, 2017, Fertitta reached an agreement to buy the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion.

Tilman Joseph Fertitta was born in Galveston, Texas.

He is of Sicilian descent.

His father, Vic, owned a seafood restaurant on Galveston Island, and after school, Tilman would peel shrimp in his father's restaurant.

Fertitta attended Texas Tech University and the University of Houston, studying business administration and hospitality management but never graduated.

His first entrepreneurial experience involved selling and promoting Shaklee vitamins.

In 2017 he acquired half of EMM group, owner of the Catch Restaurants.

He is the owner of the holding company Fertitta Entertainment.

Fertitta first built the Key Largo Hotel in Galveston, Texas and then sold it in order to buy the rights to Landry's. After acquiring restaurants under the company, Fertitta started focusing more on the hospitality division of Landry's and acquired the San Luis Resort, Spa, & Conference Center in Galveston, Texas.