Miami Dolphins owner and Related Ross CEO Steve Ross is passing the reins of his sports and entertainment portfolio to the next generation.
The 86-year-old billionaire and real estate titan tapped his son-in-law Daniel Sillman to lead the new parent company Ross Sports & Entertainment, which oversees the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium and other sports and entertainment ventures, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
The move comes as Tom Garfinkel stepped down as Miami Dolphins president and CEO after 13 years. He will remain vice chairman of the Dolphins and Hardrock Stadium and maintain his role as managing partner of the Formula I Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix.
Sillman, a 37-year-old sports executive, will manage Ross Sports & Entertainment’s leadership team, football operations and sports and entertainment assets, which includes the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Grand Prix, the Miami Open tennis tournament and Precision Drive Club. Sillman has worked alongside Ross for almost a decade, leading the acquisition of a 45 percent stake in the Miami Open and directing a search that resulted in the hiring of the Dolphins’ head coach and general manager.
Ross said he turned down a $15 billion offer for the Dolphins earlier this year, saying he wanted to keep the organization in the family. Ross’ daughters, Kimberly and Jennifer Ross, have also been named in the billionaire’s Dolphins succession plans.
Ross, who has long bucked retirement, is beginning to shift responsibilities in his business empire, though he shows no signs of stepping away.
In 2024, Ross stepped down as chairman of New York-based Related Companies, leaving Jeff Blau as CEO and Bruce Beal as president. Ross remains a non-executive chairman. Ross then launched Related Ross to focus on real estate in South Florida, where the company is investing more than $10 billion, according to its website.
Related Ross is behind a number of major projects in Palm Beach County, including the ultra-luxury tower Edgeworth, the 71-acre mixed-use Village Landing in Wellington and the CityPlace commercial district development.
Earlier this month, the developer moved forward with plans to bring a second hotel to the Palm Beach County Convention Center, seeking a $26 million sale-leaseback deal for the Hilton Curio. Ross is also planning his first Live Local Act project, which would include an eight-story building with 191 affordable housing units as well as nine townhomes near downtown West Palm, The Real Deal previously reported.
—Grace McClung
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