Dallas Landlord Builds Billionaire Fortune on Dental Offices, Dog Boarding
- Fernando De Leon expanded vet clinic, bet on Europe logistics
- Went to Harvard, worked at Goldman before striking out on own
When Fernando De Leon realized a boarding service for dogs was charging almost as much as his $30 million hotel for humans, he spotted an opportunity.
CityVet, one of the Dallas developer’s tenants at the time, built an expansive boarding space for a few hundred thousand dollars — about the same as it cost De Leon to develop a single hotel room. He offered in 2014 to help it expand with his capital and real estate knowledge. By the time he exited his stake in 2022, CityVet had grown from five to 25 locations.