Background and career
Tilman Joseph Fertitta (born June 25, 1957) is an American diplomat, businessman and television personality. He serves as the United States ambassador to Italy and San Marino since May 2025. He is the owner of the entertainment company Landry's, as well as the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Houston Rockets. Fertitta was the chairman of the board of regents of the University of Houston System from 2014 to 2025. As of May 2025, his net worth was estimated at $10.7 billion. He is placed at No. 248 on the Forbes 400 list. Forbes calls him the "World's Richest Restaurateur." Fertitta became the star of Billion Dollar Buyer on CNBC. On September 5, 2017, Fertitta reached an agreement to buy the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion. As of April 2025, Fertitta is the lead shareholder in Wynn Resorts.
Tilman Joseph Fertitta was born in Galveston, Texas, on June 25, 1957. He is of Sicilian descent. His father, Vic, owned a seafood restaurant on Galveston Island, and after school, Tilman worked peeling shrimp in his father's restaurant. Fertitta attended Texas Tech University and the University of Houston, studying business administration and hospitality management but never graduated. His first entrepreneurial experience involved selling and promoting Shaklee vitamins. In the 1980s, Fertitta bought Landry's in Katy, Texas, from brothers Bill and Floyd Landry after being introduced by his cousin. The Landry brothers were from Lafayette and started the restaurant in the 1970s.
In the 1980s, Fertitta founded and ran a construction and development business, and developed his first major project, the Key Largo Hotel in Galveston.
Fertitta was a partner in the first Landry's Restaurant, Landry's Seafood, which opened its doors in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas, in 1980. A year later, he helped open Willie G's Seafood & Steaks, a more upscale restaurant in Uptown Houston. In 1986, Fertitta gained controlling interests of both locations, and in 1988, became sole owner of Landry's Restaurants. In 1993, he took Landry's, Inc. public and the company grew quickly. In 1993, Landry's was valued at approximately $30 million. In 2004, Fertitta was elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame, becoming the second-youngest Texan to ever earn that distinction, behind only Michael Dell. In 2010, Fertitta, who already owned the majority of Landry's, Inc. stock, purchased all outstanding shares, becoming sole owner again. By 2011, the company's value had skyrocketed to a value of more than $1.7 billion. The Landry's portfolio includes: The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casinos; Morton's The Steakhouse; Rainforest Cafe; Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.; McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks; Saltgrass Steak House; Claim Jumper; Chart House; The Oceanaire; Mastro's Restaurants; Grotto Restaurants, The Boathouse Restaurants, and Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse. In 2017, Fertitta acquired half of EMM group, owner of the Catch Restaurants. He is also the owner of the holding company Fertitta Entertainment.
Fertitta first built the Key Largo Hotel in Galveston, Texas and then sold it in order to buy the rights to Landry's. After acquiring restaurants under the company, Fertitta started focusing more on the hospitality division of Landry's and acquired the San Luis Resort, Spa, & Conference Center in Galveston, Texas. He also partnered with the City of Galveston to build the conference center in 2004 inside the resort. Fertitta since acquired two additional hotels on the island, including the Holiday Inn On the Beach in 2003, and the Hilton Galveston Island Resort in 2004, which stands adjacent to his San Luis Resort. In 2015, Fertitta added the Villas at San Luis section of the hotel, which consists of ultra-luxury villas with direct access to both the beach and the hotel's pool. In June 2022, Fertitta was recognized by the International Hospitality Institute on the Global 100 in Hospitality, on a list featuring the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality. In 2018, he opened The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston, introducing a new level of luxury to Houston. The Post Oak Hotel quickly became the city's only Forbes Five-Star Hotel and Spa. In 2022 Fertitta acquired The Montage Laguna Beach for approximately $650 million.
Landry's first expanded to casinos in 2005 when it bought Golden Nugget Casinos, including locations in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada. Since then, Landry's has opened casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Golden Nugget Atlantic City was previously called the Trump Marina. Fertitta purchased this casino from Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2011. The Golden Nugget Lake Charles was bought after Fertitta found a license and resort land for sale from Pinnacle Entertainment, which owns the adjacent L'Auberge du Lac Resort. Fertitta stated he built the casino with the idea of having a casino in close proximity to his Houston hometown. After the first year proved the casino was successful, a new 300 room tower began construction on the property. In November 2024, Fertitta became the largest stockholder at the prominent Las Vegas Wynn Resorts after acquiring 9.9% of the company. In April 2025, Fertitta managed to increase his stake at Wynn Resorts after acquiring 12.3% of the company.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
