EDGARDO DEFORTUNA
PRESIDENT & CEO, FORTUNE INTERNATIONAL GROUP, MIAMI
Defortuna turned a side job during his Miami college days managing rentals for wealthy Latin Americans into one of the region’s most successful real estate ventures. As he built his business marketing to Latin American buyers, Defortuna was at the cusp of an influx of foreign investor activity in the region’s real estate market. He is credited with helping establish Miami as an international destination for business and lifestyle.
Schooled in mechanical and electrical engineering in Buenos Aires and with his MBA from the University of Miami, the Argentine-born Defortuna launched Fortune International in 1983, providing full-service sales and marketing to some of Miami’s marquee luxury condominium developments.
One of the broker and general contractor’s most recent projects is the recently completed Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, where Fortune International Group marketed and closed units priced from $2.3 million to $5.1 million during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other notable projects include the three Jade Signature developments, the Hyde Resort and Residences Hollywood Beach, and Auberge Beach Residences in Fort Lauderdale. “There is no substitute for hard work, effort and creativity,” he told Dolce magazine. “Our goal is simply, ‘How can we make the lifestyle of our customers better?’”