įertitta was a partner in the first Landry's Restaurant, Landry's Seafood, which opened its doors in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas, in 1980. In the 1980s, Fertitta founded and ran a construction and development business, and developed his first major project, the Key Largo Hotel in Galveston. His first entrepreneurial experience involved selling and promoting Shaklee vitamins. įertitta attended Texas Tech University and the University of Houston, studying business administration and hospitality management but never graduated. His father, Vic, owned a seafood restaurant on Galveston Island, and after school, Tilman would peel shrimp in his father's restaurant. Tilman Joseph Fertitta was born in Galveston, Texas. On September 5, 2017, Fertitta reached an agreement to buy the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion. įertitta became the star of Billion Dollar Buyer on CNBC. Forbes calls him the 'World's Richest Restaurateur'. Īs of June 2023, his net worth was estimated at $8.4 billion. Fertitta is chairman of the board of regents of the University of Houston System.

He also owns the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Houston Rockets. He is the chairman, CEO, and owner of Landry's, Inc. Tilman Joseph Fertitta (born 1957) is an American billionaire businessman and television personality.