David Grutman was born on July 3, 1974, in Naples, Florida. He is an American hospitality entrepreneur and the founder of Groot Hospitality.
Grutman built his name transforming Miami into one of the world’s top nightlife and dining destinations.
Who is David Grutman?
David Grutman owns and operates some of Miami’s most recognized nightclubs and restaurants. Rolling Stone once named him one of the 50 most important people in electronic dance music.
He built that reputation from a single bartending job in the early 1990s.
Grutman is now the founder and CEO of Groot Hospitality, a company that spans nightclubs, restaurants, and hotels across multiple cities. He also published a New York Times bestselling book on business relationships in 2025.
His work has drawn partnerships with figures including Pharrell Williams and Bad Bunny.
Early Life of David Grutman
David Grutman grew up in Naples, Florida, in a Jewish family. He attended elementary school in his hometown before enrolling at Barron G. Collier High School, graduating in 1993.
His early years in Naples shaped a strong interest in business and hospitality.
Grutman later left Florida’s Gulf Coast for Miami, where he began building his career from the ground up. He started as a 21-year-old bartender at a restaurant in the Aventura Mall.
That early job would eventually connect him to the partner behind his biggest venture, LIV.
David Grutman Age
David Grutman is 52 years old as of 2026, born on July 3, 1974. His zodiac sign is Cancer.
He opened his first major nightclub, LIV, at age 34 in 2008.
Since then, he has spent nearly two decades building Groot Hospitality into a multi-city hospitality company.
David Grutman Ethnicity and Nationality
David Grutman holds American nationality. He was born and raised in a Jewish family in Naples, Florida.
That background shaped his upbringing on Florida’s Gulf Coast before he moved east to Miami.
Grutman has often credited his early relationships and mentors in South Florida’s hospitality scene with shaping his career path.
David Grutman Education
David Grutman graduated from Barron G. Collier High School in Naples in 1993. He then enrolled at the University of Florida, where he earned a degree in finance.
That degree gave him a business foundation before he moved into hospitality work.
After graduating, Grutman relocated to Miami and began working in the restaurant and nightlife industry rather than pursuing a traditional finance career.
David Grutman Career
Early Career
Grutman started his hospitality career as a 21-year-old bartender at a restaurant in the Aventura Mall. He spent his early years in Miami learning the business from the ground level.
He later co-founded the Miami Marketing Group in 2008, which was eventually renamed MMG Nightlife.
That company gave him the platform to manage the Fontainebleau Miami Beach’s nightlife operations after hotel owner Jeff Soffer’s renovation of the property.
Founding LIV and Building an Empire
Grutman opened the nightclub LIV at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in 2008. By 2014, LIV had become the fifth highest-grossing nightclub in the United States.
He followed that success by opening the club Story in 2013.
Grutman then expanded into dining, opening the restaurant Komodo, the cafe OTL, and Planta South Beach. He also co-owns the Swan and Bar Bevy with Pharrell Williams, and opened the restaurant Papi Steak in 2019.
In 2021, Grutman and Pharrell Williams opened the Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach.
Current Ventures
In 2018, Grutman founded Groot Hospitality as a holding company for his growing portfolio of brands. The following year, he sold a majority stake in the company to Live Nation Entertainment.
He remained CEO and retained ownership after that deal.
In December 2023, Grutman launched DGN Studios, a production company focused on entrepreneurship and culture, represented by WME. He has since expanded Groot Hospitality’s restaurant footprint into Dallas and Las Vegas, including Gekko, a Japanese-inspired steakhouse opened in partnership with Bad Bunny.
David Grutman Companies and Investments
David Grutman’s portfolio includes the nightclubs LIV and Story, along with the restaurants Komodo, Papi Steak, Planta South Beach, and Gekko. He also co-owns the Swan, Bar Bevy, and the Goodtime Hotel.
Beyond hospitality, he serves as creative director and co-owner of Prince, a lifestyle and athletics brand with roots in tennis apparel.
He has also made angel investments in wellness and consumer brands, alongside his production company, DGN Studios.
David Grutman Business Achievements
David Grutman built LIV into the fifth highest-grossing nightclub in the United States by 2014. Rolling Stone later named him one of the 50 most important people in electronic dance music.
In 2019, Live Nation Entertainment acquired a majority stake in Groot Hospitality.
In 2025, Grutman published Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game, which became an instant New York Times bestseller. He has also taught a guest course at Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
David Grutman Philanthropy
David Grutman and his wife, Isabela, have supported Style Saves, a Miami nonprofit that provides clothing and school supplies to underserved students. Isabela co-founded the organization with Rachael Russell Saiger.
The couple has hosted fundraising events tied to the nonprofit’s Back to School programs.
In 2017, the Grutmans also launched a charity donut promotion through a Wynwood bakery, with proceeds benefiting Style Saves.
David Grutman Wife
David Grutman married Isabela Rangel in April 2016 in Wynwood, Miami. Guests at the wedding included Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
Isabela is a Brazilian model and entrepreneur born and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
She studied fashion design in Cape Town, South Africa, and later founded the clothing line Rangel. The couple met at a Miami nightclub called Provocateur.
David Grutman Children
David Grutman and his wife, Isabela, have two daughters. Their first daughter, Kaia Sof Grutman, was born in September 2017.
Their second daughter, Vida Grutman, followed in May 2019.
Grutman regularly shares family moments with his daughters and wife on social media, alongside his business updates.
David Grutman Net Worth
David Grutman’s estimated net worth is $250 million as of 2026. His wealth comes primarily from his ownership stakes in Groot Hospitality’s nightclubs, restaurants, and hotels.
In 2019, Live Nation Entertainment acquired a majority stake in Groot Hospitality, adding significantly to his business value while he retained ownership and stayed on as CEO.
His real estate holdings include a historic 1933 waterfront mansion in Miami, which he purchased out of foreclosure for $10.25 million in November 2020 after selling his previous Sunset Islands home for $8.3 million.
That mansion is now worth an estimated $30 million to $50 million following a multi-year renovation.
Grutman also earns income from his 2025 book, Take It Personal, an instant New York Times bestseller, along with his role as creative director and co-owner of the Prince lifestyle brand.
David Grutman Social Media
David Grutman is active on Instagram under the handle @davidgrutman. He regularly posts about his businesses, his book, and his family life.
His Instagram bio describes him as the founder of Groot Hospitality and a New York Times bestselling author.
He uses the platform to promote new venue openings and share updates from his ventures across Miami, Dallas, and Las Vegas.
The Bottom Line
David Grutman built LIV into the fifth highest-grossing nightclub in the United States after opening it at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in 2008.
He later founded Groot Hospitality in 2018, which sold a majority stake to Live Nation Entertainment in 2019.
Grutman got his start as a 21-year-old bartender at an Aventura Mall restaurant, a job that eventually led him to his biggest business partnership.
He published his first book, Take It Personal, in 2025, and continues expanding Groot Hospitality’s restaurant portfolio into Dallas and Las Vegas.
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