For most people, sending out party invitations means sending a message to friends or, at best, a little card with the date, place, and an RSVP note. But Michael Rubin is not most people, and neither are his parties. The 51-year-old American businessman, with a fortune exceeding $11.5 billion according to Forbes, throws parties that are out of this world, complete with extraordinary invitations, venues, and guest lists. Independence Day on July 4th, a holiday that inspires wild celebrations, is when Rubin hosts his most anticipated event of the year. This year’s party at Rubin’s mansion will see the likes of Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady, and Emily Ratajkowski in attendance.
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Michael Rubin
For the past four years, Rubin has thrown a magnificent party at his home in East Hampton, just three hours from New York (or less than an hour by helicopter, his preferred mode of travel). Last year’s White Party boasted attendees like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Mbappé, and Kendall Jenner. This year, invitations were sent out in mid-May as original, personalized works by acclaimed artist George Condo, each estimated at over $35,000. Additionally, Rubin sent each guest a pair of white Nike sneakers, numbered and customized, in a briefcase. Each pair is valued at $50,000 and came with a playful message: “Don’t puke on them! Not for resale — I know who you are.”
But how did a Philadelphia sports businessman from humble origins become the host of one of America’s biggest parties?
Rubin’s name has been buzzing in showbiz for years, mainly due to his wealth. While he is now a billionaire, he has been very rich for a quarter of a century, thanks to his passion for sports. Thirteen years ago, he founded Fanatics, a company that licenses and sells online merchandising products for nearly a thousand U.S. sports teams, both professional and college-level. From NBA jerseys and field hockey caps to baseball player figurines and now European Championship and Paris Olympic Games gear, Fanatics manufactures more than half of what they sell, allowing them to respond quickly to market demands. The Wall Street Journal valued the company at $31 billion in an article that Fanatics proudly posted on their website.
Rubin’s story is that of a self-made man, a popular narrative in the U.S. Coming from a middle-class Jewish family—his mother is a psychiatrist and his father a veterinarian—Rubin has been earning his own money since childhood. At 12, he set up a small ski repair shop in his house’s basement and, with his profits and bar mitzvah money, he opened a real shop at 14, with his father signing the paperwork. By 16, he owed $200,000, but after winning a lawsuit with help from his family, he became the owner of five ski shops with annual sales of $2.5 million, as reported in Philly Mag.
Despite his success, Rubin has little formal education. He attended Villanova University for less than a semester, where he spent more time doing business on the phone in the parking lot than in class. Realizing studying wasn’t for him, he continued to lose a little, win a lot, and created a sneaker company and a logistics company. Rubin foresaw the internet as the platform of the future and helped many brands enter e-commerce, ultimately triumphing with Fanatics and becoming a billionaire.
Sports have always been central to Rubin’s businesses. Fanatics throws large parties annually, with the pre- and post-Super Bowl parties being particularly significant. Between 2011 and 2022, he was a partner of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team and the New Jersey Devils hockey team. This allowed him to frequently interact with major names from the main U.S. leagues, businesspeople, players, and celebrities like the Kardashian sisters, actors, and models. Consequently, he has become a regular face in interviews, television shows, and parties. He usually attends these events with his partner, model Camille Fishel, 33, with whom he has two young daughters, Rumi and Gema. He also has an 18-year-old daughter, Kylie, from his previous relationship with dance instructor Meegan Spector, who separated from him in 2011 citing fatigue from the intensity of his work.
Ranked among the 175 richest people in the world by Forbes, Rubin also engages in philanthropic projects. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Fanatics raised over $60 million in a celebrity charity contest, with proceeds going to organizations fighting hunger. Rubin is also one of the founders of Reform Alliance, an organization supporting people on parole and addressing what it considers unjust sentencing laws. The organization was founded after a mutual friend of Rubin and Jay-Z went to prison for violating parole terms, a decision later overturned.
In a profile in The New York Times, Fishel noted that while “Michael works a lot,” he makes time for his family when a deal closes. However, she added, “As soon as Michael finishes one deal, there is always the next one.”
The next big item on Rubin’s agenda is his exclusive 4th of July party, which, like last year, will feature exceptional guests and performances. Last year, Usher and Travis Scott performed at the event. Guests were treated to pizza from Lucali, a famous Brooklyn venue, fine champagnes and cognacs, and tequila served by Kevin Hart himself. The night concluded with a fireworks display by the same company that organizes Macy’s department store parade. This year, Rubin’s 350 white-clad guests will enjoy another spectacular fireworks show from his $50 million mansion.
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