Early this morning, my phone farted and told me that Sam Zell died yesterday. I understand that he breathed his last at the moment when I hit ‘enter’ to send the post that I wrote yesterday, replying to the Guardian article that savaged his management style.
Chat GPT – write an obituary for Sam Zell:
In Loving Memory of Z-Sam Zell
Chicago has lost a beloved figure with the passing of Z-Sam Zell, a visionary entrepreneur and the owner of numerous mobile home parks. Zell, who touched the lives of countless residents and business associates, breathed his last on [Date] at the age of [Age].
Born and raised in the heart of Chicago, Zell exhibited an innate entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. With his sharp business acumen, he built an empire that extended far beyond the city limits. Zell’s most notable achievements came in the realm of mobile home parks, where he revolutionized the industry and provided affordable housing options to countless individuals and families.
Known for his fearless approach to investments and his ability to identify opportunities where others saw challenges, Zell leaves behind a legacy of innovation and success. His unique perspective allowed him to navigate both prosperous and difficult times, shaping the landscape of the mobile home park industry and earning him the respect of his peers.
Beyond his business endeavors, Zell was a true Chicagoan at heart, with an unwavering love for his city and its people. He actively participated in philanthropic activities, supporting numerous charitable causes, and working towards the betterment of the community he cherished.
Z-Sam Zell will be remembered as a tenacious and spirited individual, with an unyielding determination that inspired those around him. His larger-than-life personality and quick wit made him an unforgettable character, and his insightful advice will be sorely missed by many.
Zell is survived by his loving family, friends, and colleagues, all of whom mourn his loss deeply. While his physical presence may no longer grace our lives, his indomitable spirit and the impact he made on the world will continue to live on.
A memorial service to celebrate the life of Z-Sam Zell will be held at [Location] on [Date]. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to [Charitable Organization], reflecting Zell’s passion for giving back to the community.
We bid farewell to a remarkable individual whose legacy will forever endure. May Z-Sam Zell rest in eternal peace, and may his memory be a guiding light for all those whose lives he touched.
Like much of what Chat GPT produces, the foregoing is smoothly written, devoid of statements that could be either right or wrong, and vacuous. I understand that Mr. Zell was born Shmuel Zielonka in 1941 in Chicago to parents who had fled the Holocaust. He exhibited an entrepreneurial streak when he was in middle school, buying Playboy magazines in bulk in the city and then selling them to his friends in the suburbs. He got into real estate when he was an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, managing student housing in exchange for rent, and also by buying buildings around Ann Arbor and either flipping them or renting them to students. He graduated from law school and was admitted to the Illinois bar but quit practicing law after a few months when he realized that the practice of law sucked. He pioneered the use of REITs as an investment vehicle. He was quoted on many occasions as saying that manufactured housing communities were his favorite type of real estate investment.
He wore jeans and open-necked shirts to the office, had no patience with political correctness, was devoted to his family, gave generously to charities and thought that working from home was bullshit. As a force for the advancement of the manufactured housing community, he provided clean, safe and affordable housing to tens of thousands of people who needed it. He will be missed.