Clifford G. Viner (born 1948)BusinessWeek: "Clifford G. Viner" retrieved May 7, 2015 is an American businessman who founded the III Finance hedge fundNew York Times: "Elyse Viner and Joshua Cromer" October 7, 2012 and was previously a co-owner of the Florida Panthers from 2008 to 2013.Palm Beach Post: "Entrepreneur's journey: From Panthers to finance to nonprofits" by Susan Salisbury January 8, 2019
Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Viner is of Jewish descent. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After school, he worked as an analyst at Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance and then as a government securities trader at William Blair & Company in Chicago. In 1982, he co-founded III Offshore Partners, a hedge fund based in Boca Raton, Florida with Warren Mosler.III Capital Management retrieved May 7, 2015
In 2001, Viner was part of a group of investors led by Alan Cohen that bought a majority interest in the Panthers from Wayne Huizenga (who kept a minority interest).USA Today: "Panthers announce new majority owners" November 16, 2009 In November 2009, he became co-general partner with Cohen. In 2010, Viner gained control as general partner of the Florida Panthers with minority partners including Stu Siegel, Alan Cohen, and Huizenga.Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Panthers' $250M sale includes arena operations" by Craig Davis September 26, 2013NHL.com: "Cliff Viner Becomes Florida Panthers General Partner, Chairman & CEO - Stu Siegel returns to former role as Limited Partner after helping to shape the organization’s strategy for future success" July 23, 2010 In late 2013, they sold the franchise for $250 million to Vincent Viola.USA Today: "Report: Vincent Viola, N.Y. businessman, buys Florida Panthers" September 26, 2013
Viner is a Registered General Securities Principal, General Securities Options Principal, and General Securities Representative of FINRA, a CFTC-Approved Principal, and an Associate Member of the NFA. Viner is heavily involved with the Florida Panthers Foundation which focuses on pediatric oncology causes.
Personal life Viner has married twice. His first wife was Jill Laurie Silver, who co-founded the Barton G. Kids Hear Now Foundation with Barton G. Weiss. they had two children before divorcing.
In 2010, Cliff Viner married Eda Viner. He has two children from his first marriage and two stepchildren.
Philanthropy He and his wife founded the Eda and Cliff Viner Community Scholars Foundation in 2015. The Eda and Cliff Viner Community Scholars Foundation has been providing four year scholarships to public Florida Universities and Colleges to academically deserving High School students in Boca Raton and Delray who have financial needs and are community service driven. Eda sits on the board of Florence Fuller Child Development Centers and together they chaired the 2015 and 2016 Wee Dream Ball and raised over 1 Million dollars in Boca Raton, Florida. Cliff Viner sits on the board of the Urban League of the Palm Beaches and is currently the Founder and first President of the Urban League Foundation. Viner is past president and current member of B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, Florida.
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