Sam Zell and Vicki Hollub

Sam Zell and Vicki Hollub represent two very different paths to leadership in American business. Zell built a multibillion-dollar fortune through real estate, distressed investments and REITs, earning the nickname “Grave Dancer.” Hollub built her career in the energy industry, rising from mineral engineer to CEO of Occidental Petroleum and becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S. oil company. Their industries differ, but both are known for unconventional decisions, long-term leadership and major influence in their fields.

Sam Zell and Vicki Hollub Quick Bio

Category	Sam Zell	Vicki Hollub
Full Name	Samuel Zell	Vicki A. Hollub
Date of Birth	September 28, 1941	1960
Net Worth	Approximately $5.2 billion at the time of his death	Estimated in the tens of millions of dollars
Age	81 at the time of death	Approximately 65–66 in 2026
Date of Death	May 18, 2023	—
Birthplace	Chicago, Illinois, USA	Alabama, USA
Nationality	American	American
Profession	Real-estate investor, businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist	Business executive, mineral engineer and energy industry leader
Famous For	Building a major real-estate empire and pioneering modern REITs	Leading Occidental Petroleum and becoming the first woman to head a major U.S. oil company
Nickname	“The Grave Dancer”	No widely established public nickname
Main Company	Equity Group Investments	Occidental Petroleum (Oxy)
Major Career Field	Real Estate and Investment	Oil, Gas and Energy
Career Beginning	Began investing in real estate while studying at university	Joined the oil industry in 1981
Major Leadership Role	Founder of Equity Group Investments	President and CEO of Occidental Petroleum, 2016–2026
Current Status	Deceased in 2023	Retired as CEO in June 2026; continued as an Occidental board member
Education	University of Michigan — bachelor’s degree, 1963; J.D., 1966	University of Alabama — B.S. in Mineral Engineering, 1981
Parents	Berek/Bernard Zell and Ruchla/Rochelle Zell	Personal details are largely private
Siblings	Sister Leah	Detailed public information is limited
Spouse	Married three times; third wife was Helen Herzog Fadim Zell	Personal marital information is largely private
Children	Three	Personal family details are kept private
Height	Approximately 5 ft 6–7 in (168–170 cm), estimated	Approximately 5 ft 6–7 in (168–170 cm), estimated
Weight	Approximately 65–70 kg, estimated	Approximately 60–65 kg, estimated
Hair Color	Gray/white in later life	Blonde/light brown
Eye Color	Commonly reported as brown	Commonly reported as blue/gray
Hobbies / Interests	Motorcycles, skiing, racquetball, paintball and sports	Music, sports and Alabama football
Investment / Business Style	Contrarian investing and distressed assets	Energy leadership, acquisitions and long-term strategic investment
Major Achievement	Helped shape the modern REIT industry	Became the first woman to lead a major U.S. oil company
Major Deal	$39 billion Equity Office Properties sale to Blackstone	$55 billion acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum by Occidental
Major Challenge	Tribune Company acquisition and subsequent bankruptcy	Debt and financial pressure following the Anadarko acquisition and the 2020 oil-market crisis
Industry Influence	Real estate, REITs and private investment	Oil, gas, carbon management and energy transition
Philanthropy	Education, entrepreneurship and university programs	Engineering, education and professional industry initiatives
Social Media	No clearly verified official Instagram account	No clearly verified official personal Instagram account
Career Legacy	One of America’s most influential real-estate investors	A pioneering female leader in the American energy industry
Overall Reputation	Known for bold, contrarian real-estate investing	Known for technical expertise, strategic leadership and breaking barriers in energy

Sam Zell and Vicki Hollub Images

Sam Zell and Vicki Hollub Instagram