PRAISE FOR FRANCIS J. GREENBURGER
“Francis Greenburger, perhaps most recognized as a business contrarian and distinguished for his understanding of real estate trends in a uniquely personal way, has a similar flair in the arts. Francis has been a consistent voice in the literary world from a very early age, and has evolved into a renowned art collector, offering his support and patronage to carefully hand-selected talent. He awards annual prizes to artists not yet recognized for their endeavors, much in the same way that he pursues undervalued properties. I have enormous respect for Francis’s willingness to stand alone, confident in his assessments and keen to withstand the pressures of consensus-driven inclinations. His autobiography inspires us to do the same.”
—Bob Wilmers, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, M&T Bank
“Francis is one of the most decisive people I know. He made a commitment to invest in our first venture capital fund in a five minute cab we shared to work one morning.”
—Fred Wilson, cofounder, Union Square Ventures, venture capitalist and blogger
“Francis Greenburger’s story is an inspiration to all. Anyone who cares about social justice and is motivated to turn words into action should look at the example Francis has set through his commitment to changing the world for the better. Everyone can learn something from Francis’ experience and I am glad to call him a friend.”
—Congressman Jerry Nadler
“Watching the development of Art Omi must be like watching Francis develop a real estate project. Great independent vision, attention to detail, and love of all forms of discovery. It just works.”
—Alan Fishman, chairman, Ladder Capital and Brooklyn Academy of Music
“For Francis, buildings are not just real estate; through his diligence and determination, they are a chance to accomplish something truly important.”
—Helmut Jahn, architect, 50 West Street
“Francis Greenburger is truly a 21st century renaissance man—a highly successful real estate entrepreneur and developer, a literary agent and scout, an art patron and supporter, and an advocate for social and criminal justice, especially with respect to the rights of the incarcerated mentally ill. Greenburger’s life story—and his life’s passions—are at once fascinating and highly motivational.”
—Mitchel Wallerstein, president, Baruch College
“Francis Greenburger is deeply committed to civic engagement, but his passion for advancing badly needed reforms of America’s broken criminal justice system sets him apart. The work he has so passionately dedicated to this cause has helped move change forward in innumerable ways.”
—Senator Cory Booker
“Francis Greenburger’s range of interests and influence is vast, touching the worlds of real estate, literature, art, and the international exchange of art and ideas. Francis is an almost instinctual developer of new things: he develops buildings, cultural institutions, and vehicles for progressive social change . . . with elegance—and all without ever wasting a single word—which makes his opinions and guidance on arts ventures such as Art Omi and MASS MoCA exceedingly valuable.”
—Joseph Thompson, director, MASS MoCA
“Francis Greenburger is a good friend, an innovative thinker, and a great partner. I don’t admire him; I envy him.”
—Charles Benenson, real estate developer and investor and Time Equities Inc. Strategic Partner,The Benenson Capital Company
“I and my family have been investors with Francis since the mid-1970s and our investments with him are the bedrock of our investment portfolio. The returns from our investments with him have supported three generations of my family through thick and thin. He is a person of exceptional integrity and insight.”
—Debra Chwast, investor
“With the guidance of Francis Greenburger and his team, we have created eight cutting-edge residential condominium towers and a luxury hotel in the King West area of Toronto. I am proud to be a strategic partner with TEI and I look forward to years of investing and building together. Francis is thoughtful, decisive, and fearless.”
—Peter Freed, Time Equities Inc. Strategic Partner,Freed Developments
“What I most enjoyed about [Risk Game] is that it didn’t read like an autobiography or a biography. There were so many vivid scenes and wonderful dialogue that it was very much novelistic.”
—Luke Rhinehart, author of The Dice Man
RISKGAME
RISKGAME
SELF PORTRAIT
of an
ENTREPRENEUR
FRANCIS J. GREENBURGER
with REBECCA PALEY
All the events and people in this book are real and told accurately to the best of the author’s memory and ability. A few names and identifying details have been changed.
Copyright © 2016 by Francis J. Greenburger
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
All photos, unless otherwise stated, are courtesy of the author’s personal collection.
BenBella Books, Inc.
10440 N. Central Expressway
Suite 800
Dallas, TX 75231
Send feedback to [email protected]
First E-Book Edition: September 2016
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Greenburger, Francis, 1949- author. | Paley, Rebecca, author.
Title: Risk game : self portrait of an entrepreneur / Francis J. Greenburger, with Rebecca Paley.
Description: Dallas, TX : BenBella Books, Inc., [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016012285 (print) | LCCN 2016019515 (ebook) | ISBN 9781942952534 (trade cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781942952527 (electronic)
Subjects: LCSH: Greenburger, Francis, 1949- | Businessmen—United States—Biography. | Real estate developers—New York (State)—-Biography. | Real estate business—New York (State)
Classification: LCC HC102.5.G7184 A3 2016 (print) | LCC HC102.5.G7184 (ebook) | DDC 333.33092 [B] —dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016012285
Editing