Rick Caruso started out as a real estate lawyer before transitioning to become a developer, launching Caruso Affiliated in 1987. The firm, now known as Caruso, has developed a reputation for high-end retail and mixed-use projects like the conversion of a former 1920s Masonic Lodge in Glendale, California, into a creative office and retail complex with personal concierge services for tenants. He is also known for his upscale lifestyle and outdoor retail centers in Southern California, including The Grove, The Americana at Brand and the Commons at Calabasas.
Caruso has been known to be a bit loose with the tongue and tight with the welcome mat, declaring last year that Manny Pacquiao was no longer welcome at the Grove, a high-end shopping center he developed, after the boxer made a homophobic remark. He also declared President Donald Trump unwelcome at The Grove, but later walked those comments back, telling the Hollywood Reporter, "Whether I agree with him or not doesn’t matter. We have to rally around him and time will tell." — Scott Klocksin
