On the Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles episode “Keys to the Castle,” Tracy Tutor Maltas travels to New York to be mentored by real estate agent Fredrik Eklund. She’s preparing to pitch herself to Douglas Elliman chairman Howard Lorber. The 69-year-old Bronx-born billionaire isn’t just in charge of Douglas Elliman, he is also CEO of Vector Group (the holding company of Douglas Elliman), and chairman of Nathan’s Famous, the hot dog chain in the New York area. Note: Lorber’s son Michael Lorber is a real estate broker at Douglas Elliman and was on Million Dollar Listing: New York.
[Related: Who Is Tracy Maltas’ Billionaire Father on ‘Million Dollar Listing LA’?]
According to The Washington Post, Howard Lorber is considered one of Donald Trump’s “best friends.” (Prior to the presidency, Lorber appeared as a judge on The Apprentice. According to The New York Times, Lorber did it as “a favor” to Trump, who once served as Michael Lorber’s boss during a summer internship.) The two real estate moguls have been friends for more than 30 years. In 1996, Lorber reportedly went with Trump to Russia to “scout out” the real estate market. In 2016, Lorber was named one of the top economic advisers to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. In April 2017, Trump named Lorber to be chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. Lorber celebrated New Year’s Eve at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach (photo below). Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles airs Thursdays at 9pm on Bravo.
Happy 2018. Ushering in the New Year at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach with my husband Martin Shafiroff & @howardlorber Chairman of @DouglasElliman pic.twitter.com/GsTiymOFG5
— Jean Shafiroff (@JeanShafiroff) January 3, 2018
