DAY IN THE LIFE OF:
Winston Fisher, 41, is the youngest partner at Fisher Brothers, the third-generation New York real estate dynasty.
Winston Fisher
The third-generation real estate scion talks about biking across the U.S., playing video games with his son and working out in the ‘Pain Cave’
A
t 41, Winston Fisher is the youngest partner at Fisher Brothers, the third-generation New York real estate dynasty. Along with his cousins Kenneth and Steven, he oversees day-to-day operations regarding design and financing of properties in New York and Washington, D.C. The firm is currently developing six projects in the two cities, including the Rafael Viñoly-designed 22 Thames, a soaring 71-story rental; a 37-story rental complex at 222 East 40th Street; and an 860-foot-high condo at 101 Murray Street. It also owns and manages 6 million square feet of commercial space. Much of Fisher’s day is spent at the firm’s Midtown office in meetings. But the fitness buff — last month he competed in the St. Croix Triathlon — also manages to squeeze gym time into his busy day.
6:00 a.m. I go for a five-mile morning run. I either work out in the gym downstairs or have the housekeeper come in and watch my kids while I run along the East River. I do a two-hour run on weekends. My goal is to get at least 24 miles in every week.
7:00 a.m. I wake up my [10-year-old] daughter Kaia, get her ready for school and take her down to the bus. Depending on the day, either my ex-wife [Jessica Eckle] or I will drop my [8-year-old] son Andrew at school. I make a smoothie for breakfast. It has almond milk, banana, blueberries, strawberries, aloe vera, flax seeds and spinach. A lot of spinach.
8:30 a.m. I arrive at the office at 299 Park Avenue and return phone calls. I also read the Wall Street Journal in print and the New York Times on my iPhone.
9:00 a.m. I attend several project meetings, mostly in the office. …We also tour other buildings to really understand what the competition is doing. I recently toured 56 72 June 2014 www.TheRealDeal.com
4:30 p.m. I’m a trustee of Syracuse Uni-
Leonard and MiMA. Also, I just toured a potential space for the 101 Murray sales office.
10:30 a.m. We meet with capital markets brokers to discuss construction loans and the optimal capital structure for projects we’re working on. We have a lot going on in Washington, D.C., where we’re seeking financing for [a second building at] Station Place [a three-building, 1.5-million-square-foot office site]. We just hired a broker and we’re going out to market to find debt.
Architect Rafael Viñoly, who is designing 22 Thames
5:30 p.m. Almost daily, I check in on Civic Builders, another charity which I’m on the board of. They build high-performing charter schools in New York and Rhode Island.
1:00 p.m. I always have a lunch meeting, with friends in the industry, brokers and business associates. Sometimes I go with Jim Flaum [of Morgan Stanley], [developer] Steve Witkoff and [Silverstein Properties CEO] Marty Burger. My go-to restaurants are the Four Seasons and Sushi Yasuda. At the Four Seasons, I love the grilled Dover sole with no sauce and steamed spinach. I start with the spinach-and-artichoke salad with no meat. I do my best to avoid the bread, but it’s my weakness.
6:00 p.m. I get into training mode again.
The Four Seasons, one of Fisher’s favored lunchtime spots
2:00 p.m. We have partner meetings, because we have partners on most of our projects. I deal with Steve Witkoff, Marty Burger and Rockpoint Group. 3:00 p.m. I am involved with multiple charities. One of the big things we’re doing right now is the Race Across America, a bike race that starts in California outside San Diego and ends in Annapolis. We’re raising money for the Fallen Heroes Fund, which supports military families. Our fundraising goal is $500,000. For at least one hour a day, I’m on the phone with our coach, triathlete Jimmy Riccitello, dealing with logistics. I’m the team captain. The family charity has been part of my day since I’ve been a kid. We consider ourselves fairly blessed, so we like to help other people if we can.
versity, and a member of the facilities and academic affairs committees. We just opened up the Fisher Center, an academic center on campus. Every day I call the university staff to see if there are any major leases to be approved. I’m involved in all major facility decisions. If you’re in real estate, you’re always working on ways to continually improve buildings.
We have set up a room upstairs, in a part of the office that’s not being used, called the Pain Cave. At least twice a week for two hours, I do intense interval training on my bike with anyone at Fisher Brothers who is a biker, doing Race Across America, or gearing up for a triathlon. It’s not a fancy room, but it does the trick.
8:00 p.m. I take a car to my home on the Upper East Side. I make sure I cook dinner for my children. I love making Cajun salmon. My son and I play the video game “Clash of Clans.” I help my kids with their homework and wrestle with them. They love to wrestle. Fisher after competing in the St. Croix Triathlon last month
9:00 p.m. I read a book with my children, recently “Divergent” with Kaia and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” with Andrew. They are asleep by 9:30. 9:30 p.m. I spend an hour searching the Internet.
10:30 p.m. I get into bed and read an athletic book. I am reading “The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance.” I just finished “Iron War.” Fisher is a trustee at Syracuse University.
By Mark Maurer
PHOTOGRAPH OF Winston Fisher FOR THE REAL DEAL BY max dworkin