G. William “George” Tischer

is a Real Estate Entrepreneur / Investor / Developer based in San Francisco and Los Angeles, California.

He is the Managing Member of Ivanhoe Capital LLC. Tischer, in 1983, made the biggest real estate transaction in the history of San Francisco real estate up to that time (over $100M sold to the Duke of Westminster’s Grosvenor Group, owner of 300 acres in Central London known as the Belgravia and Mayfair Districts), and has brokered, owned, and/or re-developed some of San Francisco’s iconic older buildings including the Flatiron Building, Royal Insurance Building, Phelan Building, Continental Insurance Building and owner of half a city block in San Francisco’s Financial District.

Between 1995 and 2000 Tischer, with partners Lee Iacocca, formerly CEO of Chrysler Corporation, and Allen Paulson, Founder of Gulfstream Aviation, bought and was responsible for the re-development of a $500M 41 acre portion of Bay Meadows Racetrack on the Peninsula of San Francisco with one mile of frontage on Highway 101 seven miles south of the San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

In addition, between 2003 and 2007 he bought and resold the Warm Springs Ranch Golf Course three times, a 78 acre parcel of land in Sun Valley, Idaho at the base of the world renowned ski mountain, first for $12M, then for $32M, and again for $48M, all within 42 months.

BASIC INFO

Dayton, Ohio
United States

EARLY LIFE, CAREER and EDUCATION

Born in Ohio, Tischer was raised in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. His Father was an Executive of a Major Steel Company, and Mother was a Homemaker. He attended Kentucky Military Institute. He then went to Arizona State University and was the exclusive campus representative for the Chevrolet Motor Division of GM putting on new car shows on campus. Later in 1967 he chartered Boeing 707 jets to send college students at half price to Chicago and New York City over Christmas vacation earning $30,000 over the two-week holiday.

He dropped out of college in his junior year to pursue a business career. Starting in 1969, Tischer founded a Computer Matched Dating/Travel Company and within a year merged it with a National Student Marketing Company and moved to San Francisco.

In 1971, his Mother-in-Law suggested he read the book “Zeckendorf”, who was the biggest builder in the United States bringing the UN to New York City, owning the Chrysler Building, building Century City in Beverly Hills, and redeveloping much of downtown Wall Street as well as Washington, D.C. and major projects in Montreal and Denver, Colorado.

That book inspired him to get into commercial real estate. Within three years, Tischer had become one of the most successful real estate men in San Francisco.

While closing a deal in New York City, he had a spare half day and decided to cold call Bill Zeckendorf who was responsible for getting him into real estate. Zeckendorf invited him to his famous offices designed by I.M. Pei, the world renowned architect who designed many of the world’s iconic structures including the Glass Pyramid at the Louvre. They became fast friends which lasted until Mr. Zeckendorf’s death in 1976.

Mr. Tischer has been involved in over $2B worth of real estate transactions over his 40 year career.

PERSONAL LIFE

In February 1970, he married Terry Smith at Pebble Beach, California on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Course in a private ceremony, while the General Manager of the Pebble Beach Lodge held up a foursome for 18 minutes during the ceremony. They had met in Gates Mills, Ohio at a Dartmouth University fundraiser.

REFERENCES

1. San Francisco Chronicle 100 Pine Street Sale - Retrieved June 22, 1983

2. Wood River Journal Sun Valley/Ketchum, Idaho – Retrieved January 10, 2007

3. Wall Street Journal – Lee Iacocca & Allen Paulson – Retrieved January 5, 2000

4. San Francisco Business Magazine – Retrieved April 1985

5. San Francisco Chronicle Phelan Building Sale – Retrieved Spring 1984