He turned a Florida swamp into one of America’s richest cities | Don Soffer

<p>What kind of man looks at 800 acres of mosquito-infested swampland and sees high-end apartments, a golf course, and a luxury shopping mall? </p><p>In 1967, Don Soffer made the biggest bet of his life: transforming undeveloped wetlands into what would become Aventura, one of Florida’s most iconic and extravagant communities. In this episode of Big Shot, Harley and David sit down with the 92-year-old visionary to hear how it all happened—straight from the source.</p><p>From convincing the Florida governor to back his development plan (after a well-timed flight to Tallahassee) to bringing in golf legend Robert Trent Jones to design a course, Don sold a dream that turned into a $4 billion reality. He built Turnberry resort, launched Aventura Mall, and packed them with celebrities—from Elton John to Madonna and John McEnroe.</p><p>Decades before “influencer marketing” was a thing, Don was using star power to shape a city.</p><p>In this episode, you’ll hear about:</p><p>• The environmental pushback Don faced after buying swampland—and how he got the green light from the governor of Florida after chartering a jet and flying to Tallahassee</p><p>• Don’s celebrity-packed playbook: how he used influencers before we even had a word for it</p><p>• Don’s take on why Jewish people have become such successful entrepreneurs</p><p>• Don’s definition of common sense—and approach to solving complex problems with simplicity</p><p>• Why he says it’s a privilege to have a hard problem to solve</p><p>• His advice for the next generation of Jewish entrepreneurs</p><p>• And much more! </p><p>—</p><p>In This Episode We Cover:</p><p>(00:00) Intro</p><p>(02:07) How Don accidentally swallowed his dad’s glass eye</p><p>(03:03) Don’s early work building shopping malls with his father</p><p>(05:01) Why Don trusted his intuition and took a chance on developing swampland in Florida</p><p>(09:04) How Don got the governor of Florida on board to green light his project</p><p>(11:00) Early influencers: How Don leveraged the power of celebrities </p><p>(14:25) Building Aventura Mall</p><p>(19:27) Don’s common-sense approach </p><p>(21:52) Don’s relationship with his father </p><p>(24:00) Why Don says it’s terrible to run a family business</p><p>(25:11) Don’s current roles and how he set his kids up </p><p>(27:01) Don’s explanation for the success of the Jewish people </p><p>(29:37) A dinner with Frank Sinatra </p><p>(31:44) Advice for young Jewish entrepreneurs </p><p>(33:37) Where Don got h