Stephen Ross Is Transforming Florida’s West Palm Beach

Billionaire Stephen Ross amassed his fortune building huge real estate developments such as New York’s Hudson Yards. In what’s likely the capstone to his career, the 83-year-old is now going all-in on south Florida—specifically West Palm Beach—in a bet it’ll become a thriving hub.

Ross’ Related Cos. owns almost half the office stock in West Palm’s downtown and is building more—along with luxury condos and a planned hotel—after a pandemic wealth boom. The Miami Dolphins owner is also looking beyond real estate to influence everything from schools to health care, hoping to make West Palm a “model city for the country.”