Simon Property Group, Inc.
Leadership History
3 leaders · 1960 to present
Eli Simon is the CEO of Simon Property, in the role since 2026.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Simon | CEO and President | 2026 | Present | < 1 |
| David Simon | Former Chairman, CEO and President | 1995 | 2026 | 31 |
| Melvin Simon | Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer | 1960 | 1995 | 35 |
Simon Property Group owns or holds interests in more than 200 shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use properties, including regional malls, Premium Outlets and The Mills. It is the largest mall owner in the U.S. and focuses on higher-productivity centers in major metros and tourist markets, while lower-tier malls it once owned were spun off into Washington Prime Group in 2014. The company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Simon is an equity REIT, so most revenue is lease income from retailers, restaurants and entertainment tenants in its malls, Premium Outlets and Mills centers. Leases combine fixed base minimum rent with tenant recoveries and, in some cases, overage rent tied to tenant sales. Smaller streams include management and development fees from joint-venture properties, Simon Brand Ventures sponsorship and gift-card income, and returns on investments such as its stake in European landlord Klépierre and its minority interest in Catalyst Brands, the retail operator formed in January 2025 by combining SPARC Group and JCPenney.
CEO and President
2026 – Present
0 years (current)
Eli Simon, David Simon's son, was chief operating officer when the board named him CEO and president effective March 23, 2026, the day after his father's death.
In his first two quarters Simon raised 2026 Real Estate FFO guidance twice, to $13.20-$13.30 per share in August 2026, and increased the quarterly dividend to $2.25. Larry Glasscock became non-executive chairman as part of the succession.
Former Chairman, CEO and President
1995 – 2026
31 years
David Simon became CEO of Simon Property Group in 1995 at age 33, one of the youngest CEOs of a major US public company at the time, and built it from his family's regional shopping-center business into the world's largest retail real estate company, leading major acquisitions including Chelsea Property Group (2004), the Mills Corporation joint venture (2007), and Taubman Realty Group (2020).
David Simon died on March 22, 2026 at age 64 after leading the company for more than three decades. He was known for blunt, detailed earnings-call commentary on retail trends.
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
1960 – 1995
35 years
Melvin Simon founded the business in Indianapolis in 1960 with his brother Herbert.
They built it from strip centres into enclosed malls and took it public in 1993. His son David became chief executive in 1995.
Simon faces e-commerce pressure, retailer bankruptcies, anchor-store risk, interest-rate sensitivity, refinancing costs and the need to keep malls relevant as shopping habits change.
Eli Simon has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Simon Property Group since March 23, 2026, following the passing of his father, David Simon.
Eli Simon holds degrees from the Wharton School and Columbia University and spent over a decade in senior executive roles at Simon Property Group, leading corporate acquisitions, capital markets, and mixed-use development before ascending to the CEO role.
David Simon served as CEO from 1995 until his death in March 2026, and as Chairman from 2007 to 2026. Widely regarded as the titan of the modern REIT industry, he engineered Simon's transformation from a regional mall builder into a $60B+ global real estate juggernaut.
Before joining Melvin Simon & Associates as CFO in 1990, David Simon earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and spent five years on Wall Street as an investment banker at First Boston and Wasserstein Perella & Co., mastering complex M&A and corporate finance.
Melvin Simon (1926-2009) co-founded the business in 1960 with brother Herbert. Known for his charismatic deal-making and visionary Midwestern development, Mel served as Chairman and CEO until retiring in 1995, remaining Co-Chairman until his death in 2009.
Herbert Simon co-founded the firm in 1960 and served as CEO and Co-Chairman for decades. He currently serves as Chairman Emeritus of Simon Property Group and owner of the NBA's Indiana Pacers.
Richard Sokolov served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1996 to 2019, and later Vice Chairman. Coming from DeBartolo Realty, Sokolov was David Simon's operational right hand for more than two decades, managing tenant relationships across 200+ malls.
Brian J. McDade has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Simon Property Group, managing the REIT's fortress balance sheet, debt issuances, and capital allocation.
During the 2008 crash, while competing retail REITs went bankrupt (such as General Growth Properties), David Simon preserved fortress cash reserves, partially paid dividends in stock to conserve cash, and subsequently acquired distressed assets at deep discounts.
David Simon was consistently ranked among the world's top-performing CEOs by Harvard Business Review and Barron's, and was inducted into the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit) Hall of Fame.
Simon operates with a two-tier governance structure comprising an executive management team and an independent Board of Directors, ensuring rigorous audit, risk, and compensation oversight.
Eli Simon is focused on continuing David Simon's capital discipline, accelerating mixed-use residential and hospitality densification, integrating experiential entertainment, and scaling international Premium Outlets.
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