Stephen Cloobeck | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | (1961-10-26)October 26, 1961 (age 64) |
| Education | Brandeis University (BS) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 3 |
Stephen J. Cloobeck (born October 26, 1961) is an American businessman and the founder, former chairman, and chief executive officer of thetimeshare companyDiamond Resorts. He was a candidate forgovernor of California in the2026 election.
In 1983, Cloobeck graduated fromBrandeis University with a degree inPsychobiology.[1]
In April 2007, Cloobeck acquired the publicly traded company Sunterra Corporation and converted it intoDiamond Resorts International.[2][3] He is also the chairman of the board of the USCorporation for Travel Promotion.[4] Cloobeck stepped down as chairman and chief executive officer of Diamond Resorts International when the company was purchased byApollo Global Management, LLC in June 2016.[5]
Cloobeck supports charities and civic organizations including the Prostate Cancer Foundation,[6]FasterCures,[7] theBarack Obama Foundation,[8] the Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug Prevention,[9] the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation,[10] the Los Angeles Dream Center,[11] and various educational initiatives. To assist Diamond Resorts employees dealing with unexpected life events, Cloobeck founded the Diamond Resorts International Team Member Crisis Fund (now the Diamond Resorts International Foundation) in 2012.[12]
Cloobeck was chairman of the board of theNevada Cancer Institute.[13][14] In 2012, he endowed the Stephen J. Cloobeck '83 Endowed Fellowship at the Brandeis University International Business School.[2] He was a founder of the Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug Awareness.[citation needed]
On October 2, 2017, it was reported that Cloobeck donated $400,000 to theLas Vegas shooting GoFundMe campaign setup by law enforcement for benefit of victims.[15][16][17]
In June 2011, he donated $100,000 to Majority PAC, aPAC oriented to promoting Democratic candidates to theU.S. Senate. The donation was sent as a check from "JHJM Nevada I, LLC," which made the source not readily evident.[18]
In December 2022, Cloobeck announced he had handed in his resignation to theNevada State Athletic Commission. He stated his reason for leaving the commission was due to not being able to work with Governor-electJoe Lombardo.[19]
On November 5, 2024, Cloobeck announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the2026 California gubernatorial election.[20] He subsequently dropped out and endorsed candidateEric Swalwell.[21]
Cloobeck has appeared onthe US edition ofUndercover Boss numerous times. Cloobeck first appeared in Season 3, Episode 1 (initially aired January 15, 2012). Cloobeck was also featured in Season 4, Episodes 16 and 17, which initially aired May 10, 2013 and May 17, 2013, respectively.[22]
On November 7, 2017, Cloobeck appeared onMSNBC and said he told Democratic leaders he would "cut your money off" if they criticize the wealthy, saying: "I've talked to[Senator Chuck] Schumer, I've talked to[Senator Ron] Wyden, I've talked to[Representative Nancy] Pelosi and I've said if you use the term billionaire again, I'm done."[23]
In February 2021, Cloobeck pledged $1 million to fund the name change of McCarran International Airport toHarry Reid International Airport.[24]
Cloobeck was married to Canadian model Chantal Leduc from 1997 to 2018.[25] Cloobeck was in a five month relationship withOnlyFans model Stefanie Gurzanski which began in July 2020. Following their breakup, Cloobeck sued Gurzanski for offenses including fraud, claiming that Gurzanski had misled him about her modeling career; in response, Gurzanski filed for a restraining order against Cloobeck.[26][27] Responding to questions in a May 2025 podcast withThe Daily Beast, Cloobeck said he was "naive to the dating scene" at the time and claimed the relationship ended with an apology letter from Gurzanski, which he read aloud.[28]
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