Douglas Durst
Real estate developer and owner from one of the most storied families in New York real estate.
Durst’s portfolio includes some of the most prominent office properties in New York, like 1 World Trade Center, which was developed with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, and One Five One and One Bryant Park encompassing some 13 million square feet. It also has significant residential projects like Hallets Point, Eos and Via57 West, totalling 2,000 units.
Durst’s grandfather, Joseph, founded the Durst Organization in 1915. Douglas was born in 1944, and attended Fieldston and the University of California, Berkeley. In 1968, he started working for his father, Seymour, and his two uncles. He took over the firm in 1992, when Seymour retired. He’s currently its chairman, while first cousin Jody Durst runs it day to day as president.
Douglas’ brother is Robert Durst, who was acquitted of the murder of Leon Black in 2001 but has been suspected of at least two other murders. In 2015, Durst told Commercial Observer he was glad his brother was in jail.
Durst and his wife Susanne have three children, including Helena Rose Durst, an executive at the firm.
