Sam Zell, 81, died at home on May 18 due to complications from illness. He had been chairman of Equity Group Investments, Equity LifeStyle Properties, Equity Residential, and Equity Commonwealth at the time of his passing. Sam launched and grew hundreds of companies during his 60-plus-year career. Although his investments spanned industries, he was most widely recognized for his role in creating the modern real estate investment trust. Wharton’s Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie Real Estate Center, established in 1983, was named in recognition of its permanent endowment by him in 1998.