Real estate is a big profitable business in the United States; however, not all real estate developers attain fame. Let’s look into the life of George Gradow, a real estate developer who is also famous for being the husband of the popular model, actress and singer, Barbi Benton.
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Summary of profile
- Real name: George Gradow
- Active year: 1979-present
- Nationality: American
- Birth Place: United States
- Ethnicity: Caucasian White
- Profession: >Real estate developer
- Religion:
- Marital status:
- Spouse’s name:
- Children: Two
Who is George Gradow?
George Gradow is an American and was also born and raised in the United States. According to FAMECHAIN, George Gradow was born in 1941.
He is of Caucasian ethnicity. Nothing much is known about his family where he grew up except for little details like his parents being Jewish.
Also, nothing much is known about his childhood experiences and academic background.
For the most part, George Gradow keeps his personal life private. However, he is known to be a renowned American real estate developer who owns several properties in different parts of the country.
The properties he owns include mobile homes and storage facilities.
George Gradow gained popularity after marrying Barbi Benton, a legendary American celebrity, about 40 years ago.
One thing worth noting about George Gradow is that he hardly shows off despite the wealth he has amassed.
George Gradow’s career
George Gradow is an influential businessman. Even so, his journey to success has not been a walk in the park. He faced different challenges, including imprisonment, which nearly ruined his booming career.
George Gradow has been in the real estate business for many years and has worked with different notable names in the real estate industry.
His name has been linked to companies like Regency of Texas, Downing Investments, Inc, Regency of Nebraska, Trafalgar Management Company, Inc, and Kansas Associates.
He once served as the president of the first four companies and was a member of Kansas Associates. He is also the current owner of Churchill Group Inc.
Controversies surrounding George Gradow’s career
George Gradow faced some setbacks in his career life. One of such setbacks was in 2006 when he was convicted of tax fraud after federal investigators found out that he was obstructing the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) agency.
It was later reported that Gradow was, in fact, making changes in the interest rates and due dates on promissory notes to favour him.
He also directed his employees to follow suit, including those from Churchill Group Inc.
George Gradow pleaded guilty as charged, which led to 15 months jail term and an order by the federal court to restitute by paying $128,000 to IRS. Gradow was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000.
The incident ruined his reputation, as many people, including colleagues in the real estate scene, were shocked. It was later reported that he was jailed for one year under supervised probation.
He was released from federal prison in July 2007.
George Gradow’s wife, Barbi Benton
Barbi Benton is a retired American actress, model, singer, songwriter, and TV Personnel known for her charming personality.
Barbi Benton was born on January 28, 1950, in New York City to Jewish parents. Her parents were influential. So, she grew up in an affluent family, attending a prestigious school – Rio Americano High School.
At the age of 16, Benton had already launched a career in modeling. She pushed hard to get into the entertainment industry, and she did.
She became very popular when she dated the popular American men’s lifestyle and entertainment magazine, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. She was 18 years then, while Hugh Hefner was 42 years.
Hefner convinced her to change her name from Barbara Lynn Klein to Barbi Benton, which according to him, was marketable. Barbi Benton was featured in Playboy magazine and appeared in different seasons of the show, “Hee Haw”.
Barbi Benton later ventured into acting and appeared on talk shows. She also released up to eight albums. Later, she met and fell in love with George Gradow, whom she is married to today.
George Gradow’s relationship with his wife
George Gradow met his wife, Barbi Benton, in 1976 when Benton was modeling for the popular Playboy Magazine.
One of their mutual friends introduced them, and they became friends. It wasn’t long after they met that they started dating. After dating for about 12 months, they got engaged.
Their wedding took place in New York City on October 14, 1979. Friends and relations attended. Soon after the wedding, Barbi Benton gave birth to two children – Alexander, born on August 23, 1986, and Ariana, born in 1988.
Geiger Gradow and his wife Barbi Benton have had beautiful years as a couple. They currently reside in New York City amidst friends.
How George Gradow and his wife sold their mansion for $17.5M
In October 2008, Berg Properties reported that George Gradow and his wife, Barbi Benton placed their eight-bedroom, 11,608 square-foot mansion for sale.
The mansion located in the Bel-Air area in Los Angeles was placed on the market for $17,500,000.
The house was registered in the name of George Gradow’s company, the Carbondale, Col-based Churchill Group.
Initially, real estate snoops didn’t know a celebrity owned the house because it was owned in the name of a company.
The couple’s Bel-Air mansion, which was built in the 1990s, had a large master suite with dual baths, 14 baths, a library, a dining room with 32 seats, an office, a gym, an elevator, a library, a media room, a spa, among other unique features.
The house’s outdoor features are also worth mentioning, e.g., a parking lot that can accommodate 20 cars, a swimming pool, a two-bath guest house, a detached two-bedroom, and a 2.4-acre flag-lot property that offers a view of the ocean and city lights.
Public records had it that the couple purchased the house either in late 2003 or early 2004. However, the price at which they purchased it was undisclosed.
George Gradow’s net worth
George Gradow has made some fortune as a real estate developer. As of 2020, he had an estimated net worth of $50 million, while his wife had up to $20 million to her name.
George Gradow has different expensive properties in the country. In 2011, his home in Los Angeles was listed at $11,950,00,000.