Bob Faith

Faith earned a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma (OU) is the flagship public research university of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It was created by the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature in 1890, 17 years before statehood; its main campus is in Norman, Oklahoma, with a health campus in Oklahoma City and a campus in Tulsa. It holds the Research 1 (R1) designation in the Carnegie Classification, its academic health system OU Health is the state’s leading academic health system, and its athletic teams, the Sooners, have competed in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) since 2024.Open the full entry and then an MBA from Harvard Business School.⁠[1][2]

After Harvard Business School, Faith joined the developer Trammell Crow Company in 1986 and became a partner in 1988, working in its Charlotte, North Carolina, office. He left Trammell Crow in 1991.⁠[1][2]

In 1991 Faith co-founded the private investment company Starwood Capital Partners with his HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private research university in Massachusetts, established by the Massachusetts Bay Colony legislature in 1636 and named in 1639 for early benefactor John Harvard. Its principal campuses are in Cambridge and the Allston and Longwood neighborhoods of Boston. It includes Harvard College, graduate and professional schools, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Two governing boards share oversight. Alan M. Garber was president as of October 2026, and the endowment stood at $56.9 billion at the end of fiscal 2025.Open the full entry classmate Barry Sternlicht.⁠[2][1]

In 1993 Faith founded Greystar Real Estate Partners in Houston, Texas. The company began by managing 9,000 U.S. units through the acquisition of its predecessor, Greystone.⁠[1][2]

From 1996 to 1997 Faith founded and served as CEO of Homegate Hospitality.⁠[1]

From 2002 to 2006 Faith served as South Carolina’s Secretary of Commerce.⁠[1]

Following the 2018 EdR transaction, Faith received PERE’s North America Industry Figure of the Year award.⁠[1]

As CEO, Faith leads Greystar’s investment committee, executive committee and board of directors. Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, Greystar operates about $350 billion of real estate in more than 265 markets, manages more than one million units or beds globally, has more than $34 billion of assets under development and describes itself as the largest apartment operator in the United States; in 2025 it ranked 24th among the world’s largest real estate investment managers. Its investment management platform oversees more than $79 billion in assets.⁠[1][2]

Faith has said, “From the very beginning of Greystar, we have focused on being an ‘evergreen’ company.” He has been named a Glassdoor Top CEO every year since 2016 and is a member of the National Multifamily Housing Council, the Pension Real Estate Association and the Young Presidents’ Association.⁠[1]

As of October 11, 2026, ForbesForbesForbes is an American business media brand that began with Forbes magazine, founded by B.C. Forbes in 1917. It is known for rankings such as the Forbes 400, the World’s Billionaires list and 30 Under 30, and operates Forbes.com, ForbesLive events and licensed editions in 81 countries. Since 2014 a majority stake has been held by the Hong Kong investment group Integrated Whale Media; a 2021 plan to list on the New York Stock Exchange through a special purpose acquisition company was terminated in 2022. It is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.Open the full entry estimated Faith’s net worth at $6 billion, with real estate management as the source of his self-made wealth.⁠[2]

Greystar: Official website: https://www.greystar.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1]

LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Public profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-faith/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1]