While millions know Kate Bolduan’s face from CNN, fewer recognize her husband Michael David Gershenson, a powerhouse real estate executive who built a multibillion-dollar career away from the spotlight.
This article explores the fascinating journey of the man behind Ridge Real Estate Partners and his balanced life as a business leader and family man.
Michael David Gershenson Bio Profile
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Michael David Gershenson |
| Birthday | May 8 |
| Profession | Real Estate Investor, Managing Partner |
| Current Company | Ridge Real Estate Partners (Founder) |
| Previous Position | Global Partner/Managing Director at The Carlyle Group (20 years) |
| Education | B.S.B.A., McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University |
| Spouse | Kate Bolduan (married May 30, 2010) |
| Children | Two daughters – Cecelia Eve (b. 2014) and Delphine Esther (b. 2017) |
| Residence | New York City |
| Estimated Net Worth | $3-500 million |
| Notable Achievement | Executed over $6 billion in transactions during Carlyle tenure |
Who the Hell Is Michael David Gershenson?
Michael David Gershenson is the Founder and the Managing Partner at Ridge Real Estate Partners, a prestigious investment firm that deals in multifamily, industrial and life sciences real estate.
Having 25 years experience in the industry investing in real estate, Gershenson has proven himself among the most reputable players in the game, but he also prefers to remain low profile.
His name is initially known to most individuals by his marriage with Kate Bolduan who is the CNN anchor, as well as co-host of CNN News Central.
Nevertheless, the professional achievements of Michael are completely independent of each other, and his career path started with working as an analyst at Wall Street and concluded with the establishment of a successful investment firm of his own.
Early Life and Education
The information regarding the childhood of Michael David Gershenson is quite limited, as the author prefers to keep his life confidential. His father, Bruce Alan Gershenson, is the principal of RPT Realty in Detroit, implying that the interest of Michael in real estate investment was affected by the fact that he was exposed to the industry at a tender age.
Michael took his education at McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University where he was studying finance and real estate. In the year 2000, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.).
The Georgetown network was invaluable during his life as it had an alumni network that was well established in the Washington D.C. business circles.
According to former classmates, he was a focused and ambitious individual who was especially interested in property investment and development finance as opposed to quick-profit schemes. His professional style was influenced by McDonough program, which focuses on ethical business practices and long-term relationships building.
Career Path: Deutsche Bank to Carlyle Group
Michael Gershenson started working at Deutsche Banc Alex as a Financial Analyst after he graduated Georgetown. In New York, where he was a specialist in real estate transactions, Brown was employed in Brown mergers, acquisitions, and corporate advisory group.
This background experience prepared him with the analytical skills that would make him a successful person in future.
The career-defining move that Gershenson made was made in May 2002 and helped him to achieve fame in the industry. He entered The Carlyle Group, a group of companies that is among the largest in the world with regard to the private equity sector, where he would serve the next 20 years developing a commendable record.
The Carlyle Years: Constructing a 6 Billion Dollar Empire
Michael David Gershenson has been able to climb the organizational hierarchy to become a Global Partner and Managing Director in the US Real Estate segment of the Carlyle firm.
His job was much more than mere deal-making as he was involved in every part of the real estate investments such as initial market study to eventual asset management.
Gershenson had over 20 years in the Carlyle firm where he had completed over 6 billion deals, mostly in real estate in New York and Boston which were considered as the most competitive real estate markets in America. He was an expert in several real estate areas, such as multifamily, industrial, life science, office, and residential developments.
The co-workers recall his skills in identifying market trends even before they were noticeable to the competitors. Having done his due diligence and being a conservative underwriter, he was a trusted partner with institutional investors intent on getting consistent returns.
Read also: Itzhak Ezratti Wife: The Quiet Force Behind GL Homes’ Success
Ridge Real Estate Partners: New Chapter
Michael Gershenson in 2022, 20 years after joining Carlyle, founded Ridge Real Estate Partners and took experienced partners with him, who had worked together previously.
Timing was his opinion that small and agile firms are likely to spot opportunities that bigger organizations seem to miss because of bureaucracy.
Investment Strategy and Philosophy
Ridge Real Estate Partners is specialized in middle market transactions which are usually between 10 million and 100 million in value.
Contrary to the plans of the ordinary property flippers, the firm owned by Gershenson retains its properties for a long time, putting into operation refinements or repositioning strategies in the market that may take years to be realized.
This patient capital strategy has drawn investors that are after long-term consistent returns and not high bang gains in the short run. The company is involved in three main areas:
- Multifamily Properties: Houses and apartments
- Warehouse and logistics: Industrial Real Estate
- Biotechnology and research facilities: Life Sciences
Gershenson has established himself as a reliable consultant when it comes to investment in the biotechnology industries largely due to his success in life sciences real estate.
Ridge is a reliable co-investor to key pension funds and insurance companies due to his reputation of careful analysis and conservative underwriting.
Family Life: Career and Parenting
Both Michael David Gershenson and Kate Bolduan have two daughters:
- Cecelia Eve Gershenson (born September 2014)
- Delphine Esther Gershenson (born December 2017)
Both parents are also focused on their active involvement in the life of their children despite their hectic schedules. Gershenson is devoted to the present fatherhood and likes spending time with his family in the outdoors, hiking, skiing, and going to beaches.
The Halloween 2020 photo of the family, in which they dressed up as the Incredibles, indicated the light side of the family. The Instagram of Kate gives us periodic glimpses into their family life, but Michael himself has a rather limited social media.
Read also: Carlos Alman: The Quiet Strength Behind Cardi B’s Stardom
Michael David Gershenson Net Worth
Depending on the source, Michael David Gershenson has a net worth that has been estimated to be between 3 million and 500 million. His wealth has been made through:
- Salary and bonuses in 20 years at Carlyle
- Participation in successful real estate deals- Equity
- Partnership interest in Ridge Real estate partners
- His own real estate portfolio investment returns
Their family is also financially stable due to the success of his CNN career combined with a successful career of his wife Kate Bolduan making their household income.
What Makes Michael Gershenson Special
Michael David Gershenson is a rarity in a business world where business leaders are actively pursuing the media to gain them fame and fame; this man is a successful business person who prefers to remain behind the scenes.
As his wife delivers breaking news to millions of viewers, he quietly accumulates a real estate portfolio and is able to handle multimillion dollar transactions.
This success proves the role of consistency in execution and market understanding to formulate significant achievements without necessarily being a celebrity.
The Georgetown-trained executive has discovered a kind of green middle ground between career and family-life-goals-assessment, either by assessing multifamily real estate or by teaching youth soccer.
