Cliff Viner
| Clifford G. Viner | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1949 (age 66–67) Brooklyn, New York |
| Residence | Boca Raton, Florida |
| Nationality | United States |
| Education |
B.S. University of Pennsylvania M.B.A. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | hedge fund founder |
| Known for | owner of the Florida Panthers |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Spouse(s) |
Jill L. Viner (divorced) Eda Viner |
| Children |
Elyse Viner Cromer Amanda Viner |
Clifford G. Viner (born 1949)[1] is an American businessman who founded the III Finance hedge fund[2] and is a co-owner of the Florida Panthers.
Biography
Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York,[3] Viner graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.[1] After school, he worked as an analyst at Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance and then as a government securities trader at William Blair & Company in Chicago. In 1982, he co-founded III Offshore Partners, a hedge fund based in Boca Raton, Florida[1] with Warren Mosler.[4]
In 2001, Viner was part of a group of investors led by Alan Cohen that bought a majority interest in the Panthers from H. Wayne Huizenga (who kept a minority interest).[5] In November 2009, he became co-general partner with Cohen.[1] In 2010, Viner gained control as general partner of the Florida Panthers with minority partners including Stu Siegel, Alan Cohen, and original owner H. Wayne Huizenga.[6][7] In late 2013, they sold the franchise for $250 million to Vincent Viola.[6][8]
Viner is a Registered General Securities Principal, General Securities Options Principal, and General Securities Representative of FINRA, a CFTC-Approved Principal, and an Associate Member of the NFA.[1] Viner is heavily involved with the Florida Panthers Foundation which focuses on pediatric oncology causes.[3]
Personal life
He is divorced from Jill L. Viner who was a co-founder of the Barton G. Kids Hear Now Foundation, a Miami charity dedicated to raising money to fund cochlear implants for needy people; she also served as the director of Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service in Boca Raton, Florida.[2] and is a prominent supporter of diabetes related charities.[9] They have two daughters, Elyse Viner Cromer[2] and Amanda Viner.[3] He is a member of B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, Florida.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 BusinessWeek: "Clifford G. Viner" retrieved May 7, 2015
- 1 2 3 New York Times: "Elyse Viner and Joshua Cromer" October 7, 2012
- 1 2 3 4 The Coastal Star: "Coastal Star: He’s all heart — and character, too!" by Deborah Hartz-Seeley March 30, 2011
- ↑ III Capital Management retrieved May 7, 2015
- ↑ USA Today: "Panthers announce new majority owners" November 16, 2009
- 1 2 Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Panthers' $250M sale includes arena operations" by Craig Davis September 26, 2013
- ↑ NHL.com: "Cliff Viner Becomes Florida Panthers General Partner, Chairman & CEO - Stu Siegel returns to former role as Limited Partner after helping to shape the organization’s strategy for future success" July 23, 2010
- ↑ USA Today: "Report: Vincent Viola, N.Y. businessman, buys Florida Panthers" September 26, 2013
- ↑ Diabetes Research Institute Foundation: Jill Viner retrieved May 6, 2015