Stephen Cloobeck

Cloobeck grew up in Encino, California, initially aspiring to surgery before entering property development.⁠[1]

He graduated from Brandeis University after studying biopsychology. His undergraduate thesis advisers were Eve Marder and Arthur Wingfield, and his research concerned Alzheimer’s disease.⁠[2]

His website recalls starting shopping-centre development at twenty-five. After his Lake Forest contractor and lender failed in the late 1980s, he handled construction, leasing and debt problems.⁠[3]

Polo Towers opened in Las Vegas. His website credits his father with financing and himself with design, construction and operations.⁠[3]

Securities filings date the formation of Diamond Resorts LLC and its affiliated companies to 1999, describing Cloobeck’s involvement through these businesses in Polo Towers development and the design of Marriott’s Grand Chateau vacation-ownership resort.⁠[4]

He served on the Nevada Cancer Institute’s board and chaired it during his final year on the board.⁠[4]

He was appointed to Nevada’s Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics and Election Practices in 2004 and served until August 2007.⁠[1]

The Diamond Resorts group led by Cloobeck completed its acquisition and merger with Sunterra. Securities filings record cancellation of Sunterra’s common shares at $16 each; the transaction established a major base for expansion of the vacation-ownership business.⁠[5][4]

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke appointed him a director of the Corporation for Travel Promotion in September, and he was elected chairman in October. The organisation subsequently promoted travel to the United States as Brand USA.⁠[4][2]

CBS aired his first Undercover Boss episode on January 15 and his return to work undercover at his resorts on November 30. The broadcaster described the second episode as the show’s first returning-boss appearance and announced more than $1 million in employee rewards.⁠[6]

He established the Diamond Resorts Team Member Crisis Fund for struggling employees; it later became a foundation.⁠[1]

David F. Palmer succeeded him as CEO of Diamond Resorts Parent and its subsidiaries, while Cloobeck remained chairman. The company announced the management change on January 7.⁠[7]

Diamond Resorts International conducted its initial public offering, with the relevant registration statements becoming effective on July 18. Cloobeck continued as chairman.⁠[8]

Affiliates of Apollo-managed funds completed the acquisition of all outstanding Diamond Resorts common shares through a $30.25-per-share cash tender offer followed by a merger. This was a corporate equity transaction price, not a measure of Cloobeck’s personal wealth.⁠[9]

In Appel v. Berkman, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed dismissal of a shareholder suit and remanded it. The court found disclosures materially incomplete because they omitted Cloobeck’s reasons for abstaining, including dissatisfaction with price and timing; defendants had argued such opinions were immaterial. The ruling addressed disclosure and whether the case could proceed.⁠[10]

He published Checking In: Hospitality-Driven Thinking, Business, and You, drawing on his business experience to discuss leadership and customer service. Brandeis later reported that he donated proceeds to dyslexia research and education.⁠[11][2]

The university announced his $1 million gift supporting brain research by Marder and Wingfield, with part intended to help undergraduates attend academic conferences.⁠[2]

Governor Steve Sisolak appointed him chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission for an intended two-year term.⁠[12]

The federal copyright action he filed against Stefanie Gurzanski in March was dismissed with prejudice by stipulation, with each side bearing its own costs and legal fees. This disposition concerns only copyright case 2:21-cv-02306.⁠[13]

Following student Nathan Valencia’s death after a boxing event, the commission adopted an emergency regulation signed by the governor, clarifying supervision and exemption checks for certain collegiate and amateur combat events. Cloobeck announced its implementation as chairman, emphasising participant safety.⁠[14]

He resigned, stating that he could not work with incoming governor Joe Lombardo. The resignation followed Sisolak’s defeat in his reelection campaign.⁠[12]

He announced a bid for California governor in the 2026 election. His campaign release then described him as a lifelong Democrat and emphasised affordability, the business environment and public safety.⁠[15]

The channel released a home interview titled How I Turned –$20 Million Into $3.3 Billion, discussing early hotel ventures, mentorship, negotiation and his reasons for running for governor. Its description calls him a billionaire but supplies no independently verifiable personal-net-worth calculation.⁠[16]

Disruption Books published Facing Hard Truths: How Americans Can Get Real, Pull Together, and Turn Our Country Around. It discusses immigration, crime, living costs and political discourse, advocating cooperation and public trust in addressing policy problems.⁠[17]

He ended his gubernatorial campaign and endorsed Eric Swalwell.⁠[18][19]

On April 12, he told NBC Los Angeles that he no longer supported Swalwell following sexual-misconduct allegations, which Swalwell denied. In reporting dated April 14, Cloobeck also publicly stated that he was no longer a Democrat.⁠[19][20]

He surrendered in West Hollywood and was released on $300,000 bail. Citing the complaint, NBC reported allegations that he tried to dissuade witnesses in the case of his then-fiancée Adva Lavie, involving three felony counts and one misdemeanor telephone-harassment count. Attorney Elias Dabaie denied the allegations.⁠[21]

He pleaded not guilty to all charges. FOX 11 specified two felony counts involving force or threats, one felony count concerning attendance or testimony, and one misdemeanor phone-call count. It also reported that he had ended his engagement to Lavie. These were allegations and procedural developments, not convictions.⁠[22]

His website lists a post-sale investment in CLEAR and describes his proactive customer-service approach as The Meaning of Yes.⁠[3]

His official website, https://stephenjcloobeck.com/ (opens in a new window), links to https://www.youtube.com/@stephenj.cloobeck (opens in a new window), whose channel links back to the website. The X address in his 2024 campaign release, https://x.com/sj_cloobeck (opens in a new window), displayed an account-not-found message when checked in October 2026. The release also links his 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 profile.⁠[1][23][15][24]