About
R. Donahue Peebles, Jr.
Chairman & CEO of The Peebles Corporation
R. Donahue “Don” Peebles Jr. is one of America’s most accomplished real estate developers, entrepreneurs, and national voices on business, economic growth and opportunity. Rising from modest beginnings in Washington, D.C., he has become one of the wealthiest African-American real estate entrepreneurs in the country and a pioneer who has broken longstanding barriers in one of America’s most competitive industries. Driven by ambition and guided by a conviction that development can serve as a catalyst for positive social impact, he rose from modest beginnings to build the nation’s most active, privately held real estate investment and development firm, shaping it into a leader in building communities, creating jobs, and expanding opportunity.
As Chairman and CEO of The Peebles Corporation, he has spent more than four decades translating that vision into practice. Founded in Washington, D.C. in 1983, The Peebles Corporation has become one of the country’s most active and respected real estate firms, with a portfolio spanning major markets including New York, Miami, Boston, San Francisco, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. The firm has developed more than 10 million square feet of projects and maintains an active pipeline of over 4 million square feet, representing roughly $8 billion in value.
Over the course of his career, Peebles has developed and invested in projects valued in the billions of dollars, including luxury hotels, residential towers, and large-scale mixed-use developments which have helped reshape major American cities, particularly in Miami, where his landmark projects have transformed South Beach and contributed to the region’s economic vitality.
At the core of every Peebles project is Affirmative Development™, the company’s core philosophy rooted in economic inclusion. This approach ensures minority- and women-owned businesses have a meaningful stake in shaping the communities where the firm operates.
Origins and Early Vision
Born on March 2, 1960, in Washington, D.C., Peebles was raised primarily by his mother, Ruth Yvonne Willoughby, a secretary who worked by day and attended night school to earn her real estate license before launching her own brokerage firm. His father, Roy Donahue Peebles, Sr., worked as a car mechanic before taking a job with the federal government. Though his parents divorced when he was five, his father remained actively involved in his life. Peebles’ maternal grandfather migrated from North Carolina to Washington during segregation, working more than forty years as a hotel doorman at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. After spending several childhood years in Detroit, where he befriended the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy, Peebles and his mother returned to Washington when he was thirteen.
Peebles’ civic engagement began a year later, volunteering for Washington’s first Home Rule mayoral campaign. At just 16, he was chosen through a competitive national selection process to serve as a Congressional Page in the U.S. House of Representatives under Speaker Tip O’Neill, attending Capitol Page High School each morning and working on the House Floor every afternoon. He went on to intern for influential members of Congress, including Representatives Charles Rangel, Ron Dellums, and John Conyers.
That early exposure to government and public service shaped his lifelong view that politics was a powerful vehicle for change.
After studying pre-medicine for a year at Rutgers University, Peebles followed his instincts back to Washington, D.C., where he began his real estate career as a sales agent. In 1983, at just 23 years old, he launched his own appraisal and consulting firm, and that same year was appointed by Mayor Marion Barry to the District’s Board of Equalization and Review, which oversees real estate tax appeals. A year later, Barry named him chairperson of the board, making Peebles one of the youngest individuals ever to hold the position.
Landmark Achievements
Building on his early success in appraisal and public service, Peebles moved into development through public-private partnerships. His first major project, a Class A office building completed in 1989, laid the foundation for national growth.
In 1996, he earned widespread recognition for winning the development rights to Miami Beach’s historic Royal Palm Hotel through a public-private partnership with the City of Miami Beach, becoming the first African American developer to own and redevelop a major luxury resort hotel in the United States. The project was later sold in 2004 for $127.5 million.
That same year, he broke another barrier as the first Black member of the historically exclusive Bath Club, one of Florida’s oldest and most prestigious private social clubs. In 1999, Peebles went on to acquire the property, redeveloping the iconic 1920s estate into a luxury residential and hospitality destination while preserving its historic clubhouse, another milestone which reflected his commitment to transforming legacy institutions and expanding access to spaces long defined by exclusion.
Over the following decades, The Peebles Corporation became a leader in large-scale urban revitalization, blending sustainable design, historic preservation, and economic inclusion to deliver projects that are both architecturally ambitious and socially significant.
Leadership and Public Service
Beyond real estate, Peebles has emerged as a prominent national voice on economic policy, entrepreneurship, and inclusive development. He has been involved in national politics and public policy for several decades, with a particular focus on housing policy and entrepreneurship.
He served on President Bill Clinton’s National Finance Committee and participated in the Clinton Economic Summit, later joining President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee in both 2008 and 2012.
Peebles also made history as the only non-member of Congress to serve as both Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
A registered No Party Affiliation (NPA) voter in Florida, Peebles has built relationships and advised leaders across the political spectrum on economic development and urban policy, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. He has consistently emphasized that his engagement in public policy is driven by outcomes, creating jobs, expanding housing, fostering entrepreneurship, and building inclusive prosperity, rather than partisan lines.
A sought-after commentator on real estate, business, and economic policy, Peebles frequently appears on CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and Fox Business Network. He is also the author of two bestselling books, The Peebles Principles and The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth, which share his insights and proven strategies for building success in real estate and entrepreneurship.
Florida, Community, and Mentorship
A Miami resident for more than two decades, Peebles has longstanding ties to Florida and has played a significant role in shaping South Florida’s growth through transformative development, job creation, and sustained community investment.
Peebles is deeply committed to fostering inclusive communities through his Affirmative Development™ philosophy and philanthropic leadership. Guided by his own journey, he focuses on expanding access to careers in real estate and finance for young people from underrepresented backgrounds. A champion of minority-and women-owned businesses, Peebles actively mentors youth and supports initiatives which advance housing, education, and economic opportunity.
His dedication extends to extensive civic and industry service, including:
- Board of Directors, YMCA of Greater New York
- Board of Governors, Real Estate Board of New York
- Mayoral Business Roundtable, Miami-Dade County
- Former Board Member, Florida International University
- Former Chair, Florida Builder’s Association
- Former Chairman, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Founder, Entrepreneurship Academy at The Hospitality High School in Washington, D.C.
- Founding Member, CARE Elementary in Miami, FL
- Founding Member, National Association of Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers
- Founding Member, New York Real Estate Chamber (NYREC)
- Inaugural Member, Martin Luther King Jr. International Board of Renaissance Leaders at Morehouse College
- Member, Board of Visitors Industry Council
- Member, Milken Institute’s Chairman Circle
Across all these endeavors, from breaking barriers in Miami Beach’s historic institutions to driving inclusive economic growth across Florida, Peebles continues to champion equitable opportunity and visionary development which benefit communities and create pathways for future generations.
Awards and Accolades
Peebles has received numerous awards and accolades. Select recognition includes:
- “Black Men XCEL” Award by Black Enterprise
- “Power 100” Award by Commercial Observer
- “Entrepreneur of the Year” at the Best of Black Business Awards
- “Educational Foundation Award” by New York Amsterdam News
- “Entrepreneur of the Year” from South Florida Business Journal
- TheGrio Business Icon Award
- New York City Mission Society “Champion of Children” Award
- CSQ 2019 Visionary of the Year Award
- Reginald F. Lewis Award for Entrepreneurship
- Corporate Citizen Award from One Hundred Black Men of New York
- Community Leader Award by Russell Simmons’ RUSH Philanthropic
- “Company of the Year.” by Black Enterprise Magazine
- “Business Trailblazers and Titans of Black America” by Black Enterprise Magazine
- “Trailblazer of the Year” by the Metropolitan Black Bar Association
- “Top Ten of the wealthiest Black Americans” by Forbes Magazine
- “Deal of the Year” and “Developer of the Year” by The National Association of Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers
- Recognized by Black Enterprise for “Greatest Moments in Black Business”
- Recognized by Black Entertainment Television as “Top 50 Black Leaders”
- Presented with “Key to Miami Beach”
- Inducted into Phi Eta Kappa at Medgar Evers College
- Inducted into International Board of Renaissance Leaders Hall of Fame at Morehouse College
Don Peebles holds Honorary Doctorates from Johnson & Wales University and Sojourner Douglass University.