5 real estate men who became politicians like Donald Trump

After the hectic long track presidential race on the white house chair, Donald Trump was able to snatch it unlike most polls and expectations, which anticipated the victory of his rival Hillary Clinton.

Despite his fame as a top-tier businessman, Donald Trump isn’t the first real-estate investor to plunge in politics bay.

Many other real-estate men took the same step in many countries around the world, but maybe they didn’t enjoy the same deal of popularity. We will mention some of them in this short list.

• Silvio Berlusconi

The controversial Italian prime minister. Berlusconi topped Italian decision making for 9 years, he came in the 12^th place in Forbes list for the world’s most powerful men as a result of his solid grip on the political life in the lands of the Romans.

He made his first fortune from investing in real estate projects, then he turned to media and football industries.

His portfolio includes many sumptuous properties, department stores, theaters, publishing companies, in addition to a TV network and of course, AC Milan.

Berlusconi’s political career was marred by many moral and financial scandals, he was also known for his arguable stands, such as supporting Iraq invasion in 2003.

• Rafik Al-Hariri

Same as Donald Trump, the late Lebanese prime minister started his career life in real estate investment and development.

Al-Hariri enjoyed a huge popularity in Lebanon thanks to the significant achievements he made.

He was born in a Sunni well-off family and started his career in Saudi Arabia where he established a small contracting company in 1969.

Later on, he was able to takeover Oger Company –named Saudi Oger afterwards –and transform it into one of the biggest real estate companies in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hariri moved back to Lebanon in the early 80s. He was able to build a formidable base of popularity and escalate in ranks due to his significant accomplishments, especially in real estate and urban development.

In 2000, Al-Hariri was named the prime minister of Lebanon as a successor to Salim Al-Hoss.

• Mitt Romney

Another American politician, he was nominated by the Republicans to be their runner against Barrack Obama in 2012, same as Donald Trump.

Romney isn’t a real-estate man in the first place, but he was known for buying high-end properties in different localities around the US.

His portfolio includes a $10 million hefty mansion in New Hampshire overlooking a lake and another mansion in La Jolla worth 12 million dollars.

• Borris Ivanishvili

A Georgian businessman who owns investments in many sectors, including real estate development and hospitality.

Borris’ total fortune is estimated at $6.4 billion, he was ranked the 153^rd in Forbes list for the world’s richest men in 2012.

He joined politics by founding a bloc under the name “Georgian Dream Coalition” to compete in 2012 parliament elections. The bloc took the elections by a landslide and Ivanishvili was named prime minister in October 2012.

However, his term didn’t last for long since he stepped down in November 2013.

• Jose Napoleon Duarte

A Salvadorian revolutionist best known for being a tenacious political rival. His lifetime witnessed a number of major shifts and fluctuations that culminated in being appointed as a president in 1984.

Jose started as an engineer in his father’s constructions company, later on, he founded a number of contracting companies in Salvador and during his exile in Venezuela.

After a series of failures and bloody events, Duarte returned back to Salvador during the early 80s during the reign of the military junta.

He was appointed as a foreign minister, then a leader of the junta.

During his presidency term (1984-1989), he sought to end the civil war between government military and leftist paramilitaries by opening communication channels between the fighting factions.

He succeeded in passing an amnesty law in 1987, which laid down the foundation of vitalizing the full peace later.