Ari Rastegar | How Flipping Burgers Led to a $3,000 Deal That Built a Billion-Dollar Real Estate Empire
Podcast: School of Hard Knocks PodcastPublished On: Sat Jan 10 2026
Description: Ari Rastegar is a real estate developer and investor behind some of the most ambitious projects reshaping major U.S. cities. In this episode, we break down how starting with just $3,000 turned into a multi-billion-dollar real estate portfolio, why failure became his greatest advantage, and why most people misunderstand what it actually takes to build long term wealth. Ari explains why zoning, timing, and anticipation matter more than chasing “safe” deals, and why a billion-dollar valuation doesn’t mean cash in the bank. He also shares the story of writing himself a $1 billion check at 23 and carrying it for 15 years as a reminder of what he was building toward. Because real wealth isn’t reacting to the present. It’s having the patience to build the future before everyone else sees it.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
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