What kind of man looks at 800 acres of mosquito-infested swampland and sees high-end apartments, a golf course, and a luxury shopping mall?
In 1967, Don Soffer made the biggest bet of his life: transforming undeveloped wetlands into what would become Aventura, one of Florida’s most iconic and extravagant communities. In this episode of Big Shot, Harley and David sit down with the 92-year-old visionary to hear how it all happened—straight from the source.
From convincing the Florida governor to back his development plan (after a well-timed flight to Tallahassee) to bringing in golf legend Robert Trent Jones to design a course, Don sold a dream that turned into a $4 billion reality. He built Turnberry resort, launched Aventura Mall, and packed them with celebrities—from Elton John to Madonna and John McEnroe.
Decades before “influencer marketing” was a thing, Don was using star power to shape a city.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
• The environmental pushback Don faced after buying swampland—and how he got the green light from the governor of Florida after chartering a jet and flying to Tallahassee
• Don’s celebrity-packed playbook: how he used influencers before we even had a word for it
• Don’s take on why Jewish people have become such successful entrepreneurs
• Don’s definition of common sense—and approach to solving complex problems with simplicity
• Why he says it’s a privilege to have a hard problem to solve
• His advice for the next generation of Jewish entrepreneurs
• And much more!
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In This Episode We Cover:
(00:00) Intro
(02:07) How Don accidentally swallowed his dad’s glass eye
(03:03) Don’s early work building shopping malls with his father
(05:01) Why Don trusted his intuition and took a chance on developing swampland in Florida
(09:04) How Don got the governor of Florida on board to green light his project
(11:00) Early influencers: How Don leveraged the power of celebrities
(14:25) Building Aventura Mall
(19:27) Don’s common-sense approach
(21:52) Don’s relationship with his father
(24:00) Why Don says it’s terrible to run a family business
(25:11) Don’s current roles and how he set his kids up
(27:01) Don’s explanation for the success of the Jewish people
(29:37) A dinner with Frank Sinatra
(31:44) Advice for young Jewish entrepreneurs
(33:37) Where Don got his confidence and conviction
(35:06) How Don saved the Pittsburgh Mall after the excavator destroyed private property
(37:50) Don’s thoughts on when to sell and when not to
(40:05) Don’s friendship with Tony Bennett
(41:21) How to cultivate strong business relationships
(43:49) Don’s advice to future generations of Soffers
(45:52) Why Don still thinks Florida is a good place to develop
(46:42) Closing
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Where To Find Big Shot:
• Website: https://www.bigshot.show/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/
• Harley Finkelstein: https://twitter.com/harleyf
• David Segal: https://twitter.com/tea_maverick
• Production and Marketing: https://penname.co
Big Shot