William E. Clark Jr.
Background
William E. Clark Jr. co-founded Realty Income in 1969 with the radical philosophy that the fragmented commercial property market was ripe for aggressive consolidation, and that by applying rigorous real estate capital discipline and acquisition strategies, he could build a global real estate empire. His decision to convince institutional investors to fund the first triple-net lease properties established the foundational asset monetization model and localized monopoly power that defines the company's dominance today.