Seymour Durst
Encyclopedia
Seymour B. Durst was a New York
real estate
investor and developer. He was also a philanthropist
and the inventor of the National Debt Clock
.
Durst attended the Horace Mann School
in his native New York City. He went on to study at the University of Southern California
, where he earned a BA in accounting in 1935. He married and had four children, Douglas, Robert
, Thomas and Wendy. His wife died circa 1950, although it was never established if her death, by falling or jumping off the roof of the Scarsdale family mansion, was accidental or suicide. Her son Robert witnessed the event. Seymour Durst never remarried.
In 1940, Durst joined the real estate firm, The Durst Organization, which had been founded by his father, Joseph. After Joseph's death in 1974, Seymour took control of the Durst Organization. The company invested in Manhattan real estate, based upon Durst's belief that one should never buy anything one cannot walk to.
Durst was vocal about his beliefs that the government should not interfere in real estate transactions. He was also concerned with the ballooning national debt
. In 1989, Durst created and installed the National Debt Clock on a Durst Organization property in order to draw attention to the then $2.7 trillion debt.
After Seymour Durst's death, his son Douglas and nephew Jonathan took over control of the family business.
Seymour’s son Robert Durst
was implicated in three separate murders, which are fictionalized in the 2010 movie All Good Things
.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
investor and developer. He was also a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and the inventor of the National Debt Clock
National Debt Clock
The National Debt Clock is a billboard-sized running total dot-matrix display which constantly updates to show the current United States gross national debt and each American family's share of the debt...
.
Durst attended the Horace Mann School
Horace Mann School
Horace Mann School is an independent college preparatory school in New York City, New York, United States founded in 1887 known for its rigorous course of studies. Horace Mann is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League, educating students from all across the New York tri-state area from...
in his native New York City. He went on to study at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where he earned a BA in accounting in 1935. He married and had four children, Douglas, Robert
Robert Durst
Robert Alan "Bobby" Durst is a son of the late New York real estate mogul Seymour Durst, and brother of commercial developer Douglas Durst.-Early life:...
, Thomas and Wendy. His wife died circa 1950, although it was never established if her death, by falling or jumping off the roof of the Scarsdale family mansion, was accidental or suicide. Her son Robert witnessed the event. Seymour Durst never remarried.
In 1940, Durst joined the real estate firm, The Durst Organization, which had been founded by his father, Joseph. After Joseph's death in 1974, Seymour took control of the Durst Organization. The company invested in Manhattan real estate, based upon Durst's belief that one should never buy anything one cannot walk to.
Durst was vocal about his beliefs that the government should not interfere in real estate transactions. He was also concerned with the ballooning national debt
United States public debt
The United States public debt is the money borrowed by the federal government of the United States at any one time through the issue of securities by the Treasury and other federal government agencies...
. In 1989, Durst created and installed the National Debt Clock on a Durst Organization property in order to draw attention to the then $2.7 trillion debt.
After Seymour Durst's death, his son Douglas and nephew Jonathan took over control of the family business.
Seymour’s son Robert Durst
Robert Durst
Robert Alan "Bobby" Durst is a son of the late New York real estate mogul Seymour Durst, and brother of commercial developer Douglas Durst.-Early life:...
was implicated in three separate murders, which are fictionalized in the 2010 movie All Good Things
All Good Things (film)
All Good Things is a 2010 romantic mystery film directed by Andrew Jarecki starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. The film is inspired by the life of accused murderer Robert Durst. All Good Things was filmed between April and July 2008 in Connecticut and New York...
.