Samuel "Sam" Zell (born September 27, 1941) is an American entrepreneur. He is chairman of Equity Group Investments (EGI), a private investment firm he founded in the 1960s. The firm's equity interests are often in asset-intensive industries such as real estate, energy, logistics, transportation, media, and health care. EGI's holdings also include fixed-income investments in public and private companies. The firm's specialty has always been opportunistic, often contrarian, long-term investing and active ownership.
Zell is also co-founder of Equity International, a private investment firm focused on building real estate-related businesses in international emerging markets. In addition, Zell maintains substantial interests in, and is the Chairman of, a number of public companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, including: Equity Residential (EQR), the largest apartment REIT in the U.S.; Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS), a real estate investment trust that owns and operates manufactured home and resort communities; Covanta Holding Corp. (CVA), an international owner/operator of energy-from-waste and power generation facilities; and Anixter (AXE), a leading global provider of communications, security, and wire and cable products.