Jordan Fried on Building Beyond Success Through Entrepreneurship and Giving

The Entrepreneurial Foundation: From his early days in Buffalo to becoming a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist, Jordan Fried’s journey exemplifies how business success can catalyze meaningful social impact. As a serial entrepreneur who has ventured into various sectors, from technology to hospitality, Fried’s approach to business and giving offers insights into building lasting value beyond financial metrics.

Growing up in an entrepreneurial household significantly shaped Fried’s perspective on business and risk-taking. “I had the really great fortune of having both parents that were extremely entrepreneurial,” Fried explains. “When in my mind, there was nothing scary about it because it was literally what mom and dad were doing on a day-to-day basis.”

Building Ventures with Purpose: This foundation led him to approach business opportunities with a unique mindset. “I love starting businesses. I think they’re amazing personal development experiments,” says Fried. “They’re almost crazy goals. Can I actually do that? That’d be crazy if I could pull this off. Let me try. And I’m the guy who’s too stupid not to try.”

His entrepreneurial ventures span various industries, including a successful burger chain in Puerto Rico. “I also joke it’s my nonprofit foundation because restaurants are notoriously not profitable, but a lot of people work there and a lot of people depend on that for income,” he shares.

Transforming Tourism in Puerto Rico: One of Fried’s notable ventures involved purchasing the domain puertorico.com for $1.1 million, transforming it into a comprehensive tourism platform. “Can I do something that’s both good for Puerto Rico but also generate a profit at the same time?” he recalls asking himself. “Can I promote the island, do the island a service, while also generating a profit? That would be a really great win-win.”

Crisis Response and Humanitarian Aid: However, Fried’s most impactful work emerged during crisis response. Following October 7th in Israel, he orchestrated multiple emergency flights to transport stranded individuals and deliver essential supplies. “I ended up chartering an Airbus A330, a huge, massive commercial plane with two aisles,” he recounts. The initiative expanded into what became known as Israel Friends, raising over $35 million in aid.

For Fried, this humanitarian work represents a more profound purpose beyond business success. “Making money is not fulfilling. Helping people is where the fulfillment truly comes from,” he emphasizes. “Any amount of money I make in this lifetime, I plan on giving most of it away. It’s just if you’re in a position to help, you should help.”

Creating a Lasting Legacy: His approach to philanthropy was initially more private, influenced by his upbringing. “I was raised in a way that you don’t talk about what you’re giving, you do it very privately, and the best form of giving is when your name’s not attached to it,” he explains. However, the scale of recent crises prompted him to take a more public stance to inspire others and maximize impact.

Looking ahead, Fried focuses on creating lasting value through his business ventures while maintaining a strong commitment to giving back. “My goal is to buy really great businesses that could stand the test of time and then leave a great legacy of excellence in that space,” he shares.

His philosophy extends beyond mere financial success to creating meaningful impact. “I think the measure of our lives… is what we do at the time in between,” Fried reflects. “That’s kind of why I’m always doing so many things at once is I could die at any point in time and I just want to do as much as I can before that point comes and leave this place better than I found it.”

This balanced approach to entrepreneurship and philanthropy offers valuable lessons for business leaders seeking to create profitable ventures and positive social impact. Through his various initiatives, Fried demonstrates how business success can serve as a platform for addressing societal challenges while building sustainable enterprises.

As he continues expanding his business portfolio and philanthropic work, Fried remains focused on creating lasting value through entrepreneurship and giving. His journey illustrates how business success can be leveraged to address critical social needs while building enterprises that stand the test of time.

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