Sam Zell and Tom Kennedy built their reputations in different parts of American life. Zell was a billionaire investor who helped expand the modern real estate investment trust market. Kennedy was the television host associated with Name That Tune, Split Second and You Don’t Say! This profile focuses on Kennedy the game-show host, born James Edward Narz. Their stories trace two distinct careers: one shaped by property deals, debt and corporate ownership; the other by radio, television and the craft of keeping a game moving.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Sam Zell | Tom Kennedy |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Samuel Zell | James Edward Narz, professionally known as Tom Kennedy |
| Born | September 28, 1941 | February 26, 1927 |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Died | May 18, 2023, aged 81 | October 7, 2020, aged 93 |
| Profession | Real estate and corporate investor | Television host and broadcaster |
Sam Zell: From Student Housing to Major Property Companies
Zell began learning the property business while studying at the University of Michigan. Managing the building where he lived in exchange for free rent led to work managing other apartments. The experience gave him practical knowledge of tenants, operating expenses and rental income before he became a major investor.
In 1968, he founded Equity Group Investments in Chicago. Robert Lurie, who had worked with him during his student years, joined as a partner the following year. Their business expanded through acquisitions, including distressed properties whose owners were struggling with financing.
Zell’s approach depended on seeing value beneath financial trouble. A property could have useful buildings and paying tenants while its owner faced debts it could no longer manage. Buying under those conditions required judging the underlying business as well as the purchase price.
“If everyone is going left, look right.” — Sam Zell
That recurring maxim captured his willingness to examine opportunities other investors avoided. His interests eventually extended beyond buildings into industries including manufacturing, energy, transportation and communications.
His Role in the Modern REIT Market
Zell helped popularize publicly traded real estate investment trusts, or REITs, during the 1990s. These companies gave investors a way to own shares in property businesses without purchasing buildings themselves.
He took Equity Residential public on the New York Stock Exchange in August 1993. His other prominent real estate companies included Equity LifeStyle Properties and Equity Office Properties Trust. Together, these businesses extended his reach across apartments, manufactured housing communities and commercial offices.
The Equity Office Sale and Tribune Bankruptcy
One of Zell’s most consequential transactions was Blackstone’s acquisition of Equity Office Properties. The sale closed on February 9, 2007, in a transaction valued at approximately $39 billion. Its completion before the financial crisis became a defining example of his timing in the property market.
His move into newspaper ownership produced a much harsher outcome. Zell led Tribune Company’s move into private ownership in 2007 through a leveraged transaction involving an employee stock ownership plan. Tribune’s newspapers included the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.
On December 8, 2008, Tribune filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Heavy debt and declining advertising revenue left the company vulnerable as the economy deteriorated. The failure became a central part of the debate about Zell’s record as a business owner.
“I made a bet. I thought the bet was reasonable. I underwrote it appropriately. I was wrong.” — Sam Zell, reflecting on Tribune in a 2017 interview
Tom Kennedy: The Broadcaster Behind Familiar Game Shows
Kennedy’s career began in radio before he moved into television commercials and hosting. He attended the University of Missouri and worked in broadcasting before becoming a nationally recognized television personality.
He adopted the professional name Tom Kennedy in 1957 to distinguish himself from his older brother, fellow television host Jack Narz. His early game-show work included The Big Game in 1958 and Dr. I.Q. during the 1958–1959 season.
His major breakthrough came with You Don’t Say! The NBC series established him as a familiar host during the 1960s, and he returned for its ABC revival in 1975.
The Shows That Defined His Career
Kennedy worked across several of television’s best-known game-show formats. His major assignments sometimes overlapped, as the dates below show.
| Game show | Kennedy’s hosting period |
|---|---|
| You Don’t Say! | 1963–1969; returned for the 1975 revival |
| Split Second | 1972–1975 |
| Name That Tune | 1974–1981 |
| Password Plus | 1980–1982 |
The range of those assignments explains his place in television history. His career crossed word games, general-knowledge quizzes and musical competition. He became associated with several established series rather than spending his entire career presenting a single program.
Television Work Beyond His Best-Known Series
Kennedy also hosted a syndicated nighttime edition of The Price Is Right from 1985 to 1986. Other credits included Break the Bank, Whew! and Body Language.
He briefly presented The Real Tom Kennedy Show in 1970 and appeared as an actor in television series including That Girl, Cannon and Hardcastle and McCormick. He retired from hosting in 1989 after a career spanning approximately three decades.
What Their Careers Left Behind
Zell’s influence also reached business education. He supported entrepreneurship and real estate programs at the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, the University of Pennsylvania and Reichman University. Those programs carried his interest in investing and company building into teaching and mentorship.
Kennedy’s body of work belongs to the history of television broadcasting. His credits stretch from early quiz shows to the network and syndicated programs of the 1980s, providing a record of how extensively one host could work across the genre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Were Sam Zell and Tom Kennedy business partners?
The biographical and corporate sources reviewed for this article do not establish a business partnership or family relationship between Zell and the television host.
Why was Sam Zell called the “Grave Dancer”?
The nickname referred to his strategy of buying troubled properties and businesses that other investors avoided, seeking value in assets burdened by financial difficulties.
Did Sam Zell write a book?
Yes. His memoir, Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel, was published in 2017 and discussed his life, investments and business philosophy.
Was Tom Kennedy his real name?
Tom Kennedy was his professional name. He was born James Edward Narz and was the younger brother of game-show host Jack Narz.
Did Tom Kennedy host The Price Is Right?
Yes. Kennedy hosted a syndicated nighttime version during the 1985–1986 television season.
Conclusion
Sam Zell and Tom Kennedy earned recognition through very different kinds of work. Zell’s record combines major property investments, an influential role in the REIT industry and the costly failure at Tribune. Kennedy’s career rests on decades of broadcasting and a substantial list of familiar game shows. Each is best understood through those specific achievements and responsibilities.
Frank Sinatra and Kendall Jenner: A Classic Song Meets Streetwear
