An Inside Look At The Liberty Ball And Other Inauguration Events Packed With CRE Execs

With a real estate executive taking the helm as president, his fellow executives and friends got the red carpet treatment during inauguration week.

Supporters enjoyed candlelight dinners and elegant balls in Washington, DC. That included the Liberty Ball, where the president, the vice president and their families took to the floor to dance after the inauguration. Donald and Melania Trump are arm in arm on the right of this photo.

The Liberty Ball, which was for 7,000 people, was on the third floor of the convention center with its own guarded entrance and no line at all. Everyone had to go through another security check where tickets were scanned and bags and pockets searched. Attendees were handed four drink tickets worth $5 each at the door.

Inside, food stations and drink stations were identified with large presidential seals. Guests lined up at several stations for photos with the presidential seals. One photo spot let couples sit in a mini-Oval Office with hats and flags. Food included cheeses, tortellini, hot serving dishes and cupcakes with red, white and blue frosting while walls and lighting echoed the patriotic theme.

Island Capital Group CEO Alexander Farkas develops marinas and helped Dubai set up a Sharia-compliant mortgage industry. His party included H.E. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem of Dubai, the former chair of Dubai World and founder of its subsidiaries, developer Nakeel and investment company Istithmar, which owns several properties in New York, including 230 Park Ave. He also founded the free trade area in the Dubai Ports and Dubai Ports International. Since February 2016, he has been group chairman and CEO of DP World Limited, which develops ports worldwide.

His son, Ahmed Sultan Bin Sulayem also attended. Ahmed Sultan Bin Sulayem is the chairman of the Kimberley Process, which was founded to identify non-conflict area diamonds.

A large, low stage covered half the right side of the ballroom. Each end had an oval stage while a larger one in the center pushed out into the room toward a press riser. Near the end of the stage, Bruce Mosler and Michael Fascitelli were laughing that this was like a REBNY event with so many real estate executives, including President Trump. Mosler, who had been at the REBNY event Thursday night, flew down while Fascitelli took Amtrak. Mosler, who came in with Ken Fisher of Fisher Bros, said their car service had driven them near one of the protests and they had to get out and walk the rest of the way, but they made it safely to the ball.

Along with his global post at Cushman & Wakefield, Mosler is the chairman of Business Executives for National Security, which works closely with Washington. He has also worked on Veterans Affairs with Undersecretary of Health at Veterans Affairs David Shukin, who is Trump’s nominee to head the agency. Shukin declined to discuss his plans.

Howard Lorber appeared with his Vector Group partner, Bennett LeBow, and his wife and financier, Jacqueline LeBow. Vector owns Douglas Elliman. Corcoran Group CEO Pam Liebman also made the inauguration rounds. Michael Lorber, who posted plenty of inauguration photos on his Instagram feed, posed with Boston developer Michael Tarshi. The two had met during the third season of Celebrity Apprentice when Tarshi was a contestant; Tarshi campaigned for the new president.

Jay Neveloff, who heads Kramer Levin and has represented President Trump for many years, attended the Liberty Ball with his wife, Arlene. Among other real estate pros and New Yorkers listed in attendance were Richard Cohn of Merchants Hospitality, Rampart Group's Robert Morris and security guru Bo Dietl, who is running for New York City mayor. Boston was represented by Marcus Partners' Paul Marcus. Steve Witkoff made the trek, as did Vornado’s Steve Roth, who was appointed to lead an infrastructure council along with another of Trump’s longtime friends, Richard LeFrak.

Melania’s parents, Viktor and Amaljia Knavs, were brought in from a side door, and then the new president and first lady came in for their first dance — to "My Way." The Trump and Pence children were introduced. Among them was Ross Mechanic, son of real estate lawyer Jonathan Mechanic, who is dating Tiffany Trump.

HUD Secretary candidate Dr. Ben Carson was surrounded at the ball, posing for photos and listening to agency issues and complaints. One of the original Apprentice stars, Omarosa Manigault, and her fiancee, John Allen Newman, also attended.

The balls started at 7 p.m. and getting to the balls turned into adventures for some. One woman said protests erupted in front of her and the police had to lock them in the Marriott for a half hour for their own safety.

Women in long ball gowns and spiked heels and men in tuxes navigated sidewalks as police officers from many departments were stationed along the route. A well-guarded tent area fitted with concrete barricades opened later to allow the president and his family to be escorted into the balls. The line for the Freedom Ball, which had 25,000 attendees, snaked along one side of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and took well over an hour to get through.

Many of Trump’s friends and large donors stayed at the Trump International Hotel in the Old Post Office Building where the nightly tab was reported at $2k. This was the site of several donor events and the Post Office Ball.

Trump leased the building from the federal government and undertook a very detailed restoration into a luxury hotel. It opened in September and, since the election, Trump has come under fire since he will oversee the agency that leased it to him. It will now be part of the trust overseen by Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and longtime Trump financial exec Alan Weisselberg.

At a press conference Thursday morning, a reporter said President Trump shouldn’t be having inaugural events or staying at the hotel. Spokesman Sean Spicer said, “It’s a beautiful place and no shocker that he will visit his own hotel. It’s a stunning hotel and I encourage you to go there.”

The restored clock tower can be seen all along Pennsylvania Avenue. For the inauguration, red, white and blue balloons hung in nets high in its central glass-covered atrium until they were released during the VIP Post Office party. On Instagram, Donald Trump Jr. posted a video showing “A new inaugural tradition — midnight balloon drop."

The atrium also acts as the lobby; a long bar nearly covers one wall with glass cabinets full of crystal decanters and giant champagne bottles in the center. Down the hall in a guarded VIP suite, sparkling crystal chandeliers glowed over cheese plates, crudites and small cakes. Aides came and went from an adjoining room bringing out envelopes of prize tickets, lanyards with special IDs, clear folders, and welcome bags filled with inaugural blankets, gold cuff links and other perks.

CORRECTION, JAN. 23, 4:35 P.M. ET: A previous version had incorrect information about how Bruce Mosler got to the Liberty Ball. The story has been updated.