Building a Billion-Dollar Legacy with Fernando De Leon

Willy was joined by Fernando De Leon, Founder and CEO of Leon Capital Group, a family holding company that built and operates a portfolio exceeding $10 billion in assets across multiple businesses in healthcare, financial services, and real estate.

He and Willy discussed his humble upbringing as the youngest of six and the drive that was instilled in him at a young age, his educational and career trajectory – including leaving Goldman Sachs to give into the entrepreneurial bug, his experience building Leon Capital Group, his management style and how to create competitive advantages, growth opportunities he’s seeing, and much more.

Key Points In The Webcast:
00:00 Introduction
01:34 Willy introduces Fernando De Leon
02:39 Where Fernando’s passion comes from
05:11 Being an excellent speller
06:51 How a “no” is the best challenge
08:16 Getting a Harvard scholarship and lessons learned
12:25 Working in Goldman Sachs
13:42 Fernando’s early entrepreneurial experience
18:32 Should kids be taught entrepreneurship early?
20:45 Carlos Slim as an early investor
23:47 Creating Leon Capital as a private family office
27:28 How private equity firms benefit pensioners
28:45 Is the U.S. becoming too soft?
31:53 Any new developments in Leon Capital?
33:53 The humbling shift out of retail
35:56 Considering data centers in the industrial space
36:59 The possibility of nuclear power
37:57 The state of the multi-family market
39:49 Diversification of Leon Capital’s assets
44:46 The challenge of owning large-scale businesses
47:44 What does Fernando’s day look like?
50:44 Spinning businesses into publicly traded companies
52:56 Insights into consumer finance
54:24 Any plans on going into senior housing?
55:37 Organization’s qualifications for a scholarship
56:51 Allowing children to discover their path
58:45 Where is Leon Capital headed?

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[eulaliobosquez]

Awesome discussion! This is my first time watching your show, and it’s amazing how either YouTube or the universe brought this video to my attention. I’m 24 and live in McAllen, TX, just 35 minutes from Fernando’s hometown of Brownsville. I wouldn’t have known about him if it weren’t for this video, and I’m so glad I did! When he talks about his upbringing, I can really relate to the hustle he put in for his family. Great content! I’m excited to see more of these inspiring discussions!

[ExomikV]

Mr. De Leon seems to have great business ethics 👍

[stevehaas]

Thanks Willy & Fernando! Great interview!