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Businessman and philanthropist Michael Rubin continues to make headlines as the Fanatics chairman hosted a star-studded 4th of July party this year.
The party was a repeat of the 'White Party' hosted at Rubin's $50 million oceanfront Hamptons estate last year (which was inspired by rapper Diddy's iconic parties in decades prior). This year saw celebrities of the echelons of Jay-Z, Kendall Jenner, and Drake among the guests, with the latter also putting on a show fresh off his new album, Honestly, Nevermind.
Other guests in attendance included Beyonce, James Harden, Robert Kraft, Fat Joe, Yo Gotti, Emily Ratajkowski, Joel Embiid, Kaia Gerber, Ryan Seacrest, Draymond Green, and CJ McCollum. Performances from Meek Mill, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi, 21 Savage, Quavo, Ferg, Lil Durk, Fab, Zack Bia, Diplo, Chase B, Miguel made it a party for the ages.
How has Michael Rubin forged this place among the most high-profile celebrities of our times? We look into the life of the billionaire sports mogul to find out.
Michael Rubin's claim to fame: The 'All In' challenge and more
Born on July 21, 1972, Michael G. Rubin is the CEO and Chairman of Fanatics, the world's leading provider of licensed sports merchandise, which is now valued at over $18 billion. He is also known for having founded GSI Commerce, which he sold to eBay for over $2 billion in 2011.
Having started a ski equipment business while in high school out of the basement of his parents' home in Philadelphia, Michael Rubin now has a slew of successful sports and e-commerce ventures to his name.
For Fanatics, Rubin has orchestrated partnership deals with more than 300 professional leagues, sports and teams, including deals with the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Fanatics has the rights to design, manufacture and distribute all Nike fan gear for both leagues.
He was also a partner on the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team and the New Jersey Devils hockey team until June 2022. Other e-commerce brands with a stamp of the man include sites such as RueLaLa.com, Gilt.com, and ShopPremiumOutlets.com.
While Rubin accumulated massive wealth from several ventures, he garnered fame for his far-reaching humanitarian efforts.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rubin shut down a Fanatics MLB uniform manufacturing plant to generate hospital gowns and PPE for frontline workers. The company ended up disseminating over one million masks and gowns to healthcare centers in 13 states.
In April 2020, Michael Rubin elevated his anti-pandemic efforts by overseeing the 'All-In Challenge'. The viral charity campaign involved many notable people (including the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady and Satya Nadela) who donated a prized possession or "once-in-a-lifetime" experience to fans. Rubin raised over $60 million to combat food insecurity via the campaign.
The abundant wealth and his charity efforts have made Michael Rubin a magnetic persona. He seems to be perfectly balancing party with philanthropy.
