Sam Zell, a well-known multi-billionaire real estate tycoon in Chicago, who once built a reputation as “the grave dancer” for his ability to revive properties died on Thursday at the age of 81.

According to Equity Group Investments, a company he founded in 1968, Zell died at home due to complications from a recent illness.

“Sam Zell was a self-made, visionary entrepreneur. He launched and grew hundreds of companies during his 60-plus-year career and created countless jobs. Although his investments spanned industries across the globe, he was most widely recognized for his critical role in creating the modern real estate investment trust, which today is a more than $4 trillion industry,” Equity Group Investments said in a written statement on Thursday.

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He also co-founded the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business along with Lurie’s widow, Ann in 1999.

Zell was fiercely protective of his personal life. Reports said he was married at least three times and had three children. Zell is survived by his wife, Helen Zell, among others.

Who is Helen Zell?

According to Chicago Public Education Fund’s official website, “Helen Zell is the Executive Director of the Zell Family Foundation. She is an active philanthropist and thought leader in the arts and education, with an emphasis on music, literature and visual arts. Helen is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association.”

Helen got her bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Michigan.

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She also serves on the executive committee and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Steppenwolf Theatre. She is a trustee, and former Chair, of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Some of the other organizations where she serves on the board of directors are the Ounce of Prevention Fund, which is a public-public partnership dedicated to the healthy development of at-risk children; the Chicago Public Education Fund, a nonprofit organization working to improve public education in the city; and Teach for America, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting educational equity and excellence for children in low-income communities. 

Apart from her passion for literature, she is the editor of journals published by the American Society for Microbiology; project director and acquisitions editor for Science Research Associates, Inc.; and general manager for the Chicago String Ensemble.