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Before buying the Tribune Co. in 2007, the billionaire was known for his gift for reviving moribund companies. He developed an office-tower company that he sold to the Blackstone Group for $39 billion in 2007. His firm also invested in manufacturing, travel, retail, healthcare and energy. He pioneered the use of REITs, real estate securities that trade like stocks on the major exchanges.

(JTA) — Sam Zell, a Chicago real estate magnate and son of Holocaust survivors who led a tumultuous leveraged buyout that bankrupted the Tribune media company in the early 2000s,

Zell was a major donor to Jewish causes both inside and outside of Israel.

The son of Holocaust survivors, Zell bought the Tribune Co. in 2007 and filed for bankruptcy a year later.

Billionaire Sam Zell, who built a real estate empire and was known for his bets on distressed assets, died at the age of 81 due ......