Who is Michael Rubin, and why is he friends with so many famous people?
- Michael Rubin threw his annual "white party" for A-list celebrities and athletes on July 4.
- Rubin is the billionaire CEO of sports merchandise company Fanatics.
- He's also involved in charity, working with Meek Mill on the criminal justice REFORM Alliance.
On July 4, Michael Rubin's Hamptons home was the place to be — or at least, it was for celebrities and athletes.
The billionaire — who has an $11.5 billion fortune, according to Forbes — hosted his annual "white party" for tons of A-list guests. This year, they included New England Patriots CEO Robert Kraft, Kim Kardashian, Drake, and athletes like Tom Brady. Their all-white outfits have also been splashed across social media after the event.
Though Rubin's name may not be as well known to the average person as some of his guests', he's pretty noteworthy — both for his role in the sports industry as the CEO of sports merchandise company Fanatics and as a popular figure who has a vast and diverse social circle.
According to a profile of Rubin by Business Insider's John Lynch, the entrepreneur got his start as a teenager running a ski equipment business in Philadelphia. In his 20s, he dropped out of school to launch Global Sports Incorporated, an apparel and logistics company.
Rubin later sold that company, later known as GSI Commerce, to eBay in 2011 for $2.4 billion. As part of that deal, he kept Fanatics — the company's production section.
According to the company's website, Fanatics provides officially licensed sports merchandise and other services, such as digital asset collection and betting.
Forbes estimates that as of July 2024, Rubin's net worth is about $11.5 billion.
The REFORM Alliance is a criminal justice reform organization that, according to its website, "aims to transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems, and culture to create real pathways to work and wellbeing."
BI previously reported that the organization was launched after rapper Meek Mill was released from prison in 2018 following a controversial two-to-four-year prison sentence for a probation violation.
Mill and Rubin are co-chairs of the organization, whose board of directors includes CEO Robert Rooks, founding partners Clara Wu Tsai, Laura Arnold, Michael Novogratz, Robert Kraft, Robert F. Smith, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, and board member Priscilla Chan.
In 2019, BI reported that Rubin, Mill, Kraft, and Tsai put together a trip for 50 children who had a parent who was in prison or who had been incarcerated or undergone a probation extension as a result of technical probation violations.
According to People, Rubin purchased a minority share in the 76ers in 2011 and purchased a stake in the New Jersey Devils in 2013.
However, in 2022, he sold his stake in the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment company that owns both teams.
In a statement to ESPN, he said that he divested due to potential conflict-of-interest concerns given Fanatics' expansion into sports betting.
As BI previously reported, Rubin has a reputation for hosting "star-studded" parties, as Migos rapper Quavo put it.
His 2020 Super Bowl party included guests like Jay-Z, Alex Rodriguez, Emily Ratajkowski, Post Malone, and Shaquille O'Neal.
"I do like bringing people together," Rubin told The New York Times in 2021. "I have such a diverse set of friends, and I like to see them learn and grow from each other."
Rubin told BI that year that he's "like a sponge" and learns from his friends, saying his social circle was one of his greatest assets.
"I think if you have a diverse group of friends, you can constantly learn from each other," Rubin told BI. "Robert Kraft and I learn from each other. Meek and I learn from each other. Quavo and I learn from each other. Gary Vee and I learn from each other. One of my best skill sets is the diversity of friends that I have."
The "white party" took place in the Hamptons, and its dress code — as suggested by the name — was all-white.
Per The New York Times, the first "white party" occurred in 2021 after Rubin purchased his $50 million Bridgehampton home in 2020. The celebration that year served as a housewarming event.
A source close to Rubin told Business Insider that celebrities in attendance at the 2023 party included Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian, Emily Ratajkowski, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lori Harvey, Travis Scott, and Justin and Hailey Bieber. Rubin also uploaded numerous photos from the event to his personal Instagram account.
Rubin's daughter, Kylie Rubin, also posted photos of the event to her personal Instagram account. In the caption, she wrote that she would be "taking over the party list starting July 2027," tagging her father, and writing, "bye-bye."
"May cut u off the list next year for sport!!" Michael wrote in the comments.
This year's guest list included athletes like Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, musicians such as Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Glo Rilla, and Quavo, and celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Emily Ratajkowski, and Megan Fox.
Of course, attendees donned all-white as seen in photos Rubin posted on Instagram, and the party was hosted at his Hamptons home.
People reported that Rubin and his ex-wife, Meegan Rubin, split in 2011 but co-parent their daughter Kylie.
He's since been linked to model Camille Fishel since 2016, per the magazine. The pair share two children: Romi, who was born in 2020, and Gema, who was born in 2022.