Who is Michael Rubin and why is he friends with so many famous people?
Rubin at the Fanatics Super Bowl party in Atlanta in 2019.Mike Coppola/Getty Images
- Michael Rubin hosted his annual “White Party” for A-list celebrities and athletes on July 4th.
- Rubin is the billionaire CEO of sporting goods company Fanatics.
On July 4th, Michael Rubin’s house in the Hamptons was the hottest place – at least for celebrities and athletes.
The billionaire – who is worth $11.5 billion, according to Forbes – hosted his annual “White Party” for a host of high-profile guests. This year, they included New England Patriots CEO Robert Kraft, Kim Kardashian, Drake and athletes like Tom Brady. Their all-white outfits were also seen on social media after the event.
While Rubin’s name may not be as familiar to the average person as some of his guests, he is quite notable – both for his role in the sports industry as CEO of sporting goods company Fanatics and as a popular figure with a large and diverse social circle.
Rubin is the CEO of Fanatics, a sporting goods retailer, and is said to have a multi-billion dollar net worth.
Fanatic. Mike Coppola/Getty Images for fanatics
According to a profile of Rubin by Business Insider’s John Lynch, the entrepreneur began his career as a teenager with a ski equipment business in Philadelphia. In his twenties, he dropped out of school to start Global Sports Incorporated, an apparel and logistics company.
Rubin sold the company, later known as GSI Commerce, to eBay in 2011 for $2.4 billion. As part of that deal, he retained Fanatics – the company’s manufacturing division.
According to the company’s website, Fanatics offers officially licensed sporting goods and other services, such as collecting digital assets and betting.
Forbes estimates that Rubin’s net worth will be approximately $11.5 billion as of July 2024.
Rubin is also co-chair of the REFORM Alliance.
Rubin and Meek Mill at a Reform Alliance press conference in Philadelphia in 2019. Shareef Ziyadat/Getty Images
The REFORM Alliance is a criminal justice reform organization that, according to its website, “aims to transform parole and conditional release through changes in laws, systems and culture to create real pathways to work and well-being.”
BI previously reported that the organization was formed after rapper Meek Mill was released from prison in 2018 after serving a controversial two-to-four year sentence for violating parole.
Mill and Rubin are co-chairs of the organization, whose board of directors includes CEO Robert Rooks, founding partners Clara Wu Tsai, Laura Arnold, Michael Novogratz, Robert Kraft, Robert F. Smith, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and board member Priscilla Chan.
In 2019, BI reported that Rubin, Mill, Kraft and Tsai organized a trip for 50 children whose parents were in prison or who were incarcerated for formal parole violations or whose parole sentences had been extended.
Rubin previously owned shares in both the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils.
Joel Embiid, Michael Rubin, Meek Mill and his son Papi at the Philadelphia 76ers game against the Miami Heat on April 24, 2018. Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
According to People, Rubin bought a minority stake in the 76ers in 2011 and a stake in the New Jersey Devils in 2013.
However, in 2022, he sold his share in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns both teams.
In a statement to ESPN, he said he resigned due to concerns about potential conflicts of interest given Fanatics’ expansion into sports betting.
Rubin’s social network includes numerous well-known celebrities and athletes.
James Harden, Tom Brady, Michael Rubin (second from right) and Devin Booker at the White Party 2023. Michael Rubin
As BI previously reported, Rubin is known for hosting “star-studded” parties, as Migos rapper Quavo put it.
His guests at the 2020 Super Bowl party included Jay-Z, Alex Rodriguez, Emily Ratajkowski, Post Malone and Shaquille O’Neal.
“I love bringing people together,” Rubin told the New York Times in 2021. “I have such a diverse group of friends, and I love seeing them learn and grow from each other.”
Rubin told BI this year that he is “like a sponge” and learns from his friends, and said his social circle is one of his greatest assets.
“I think when you have a diverse group of friends, you can constantly learn from each other,” Rubin told BI. “Robert Kraft and I learn from each other. Meek and I learn from each other. Quavo and I learn from each other. Gary Vee and I learn from each other. One of my best skills is the diversity of my friends.”
His “White Party” in 2023 attracted numerous A-list celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé and Tom Brady.
Celebrity guests at the 2023 White Party included Lala Anthony, Kim Kardashian, Lori Harvey, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner. Michael Rubin
The “White Party” took place in the Hamptons and the dress code was – as the name suggests – exclusively white.
According to the New York Times, the first “White Party” took place in 2021 after Rubin purchased his $50 million home in Bridgehampton in 2020. This year’s celebration served as a housewarming event.
A source close to Rubin told Business Insider that Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian, Emily Ratajkowski, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lori Harvey, Travis Scott, and Justin and Hailey Bieber, among others, would be in attendance at the 2023 party. Rubin also uploaded numerous photos from the event to his personal Instagram account.
Rubin’s daughter Kylie Rubin also posted photos of the event on her personal Instagram account. In the caption, she wrote that she would be “taking over the party list starting July 2027,” tagged her father, and wrote “Bye.”
“Maybe next year I’ll cross you off the list for sporting reasons!!,” Michael wrote in the comments.
This year, Rubin hosted another successful “White Party” on July 4, 2024
Model Brooks Nader and friends at Michael Rubin’s “White Party” 2024. Gotham/Getty Images
This year’s guest list included athletes such as Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, musicians such as Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Glo Rilla and Quavo, and celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Emily Ratajkowski and Megan Fox.
Of course, all of the guests were dressed in all white, as can be seen in the photos Rubin posted on Instagram, and the party took place at his home in the Hamptons.
In addition to his daughter Kylie, Rubin has two young daughters with Camille Fishel.
Michael Rubin, center left, poses with his daughter Kylie Rubin, left, and girlfriend Camille Fishel, second from right, along with Dr. Dana Blumberg, Robert Kraft and Kevin Hart at the Fanatics Super Bowl Party 2022 in Culver City, California. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fanatics
As People reported, Rubin and his ex-wife Meegan Rubin separated in 2011, but are raising their daughter Kylie together.
According to the magazine, he has been in a relationship with model Camille Fishel since 2016. The couple have two children together: Romi, who was born in 2020, and Gema, who was born in 2022.
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