About this episode

Fernando De Leon shares his journey from a teenager on the US-Mexico border to building a $3B empire in real estate.

Season 8, Episode 3: How did Fernando De Leon go from translating legal disputes as a teenager on the US-Mexico border to building Leon Capital Group?Today, we sit down with Fernando De Leon, Founder and CEO of Leon Capital Group, to break down one of the most remarkable founder stories in real estate. Fernando shares how his early life in Matamoros and South Texas shaped his view of risk, opportunity, and systems. We also get into his first real estate equity stake, his time at Harvard and Goldman Sachs, and how he built conviction before the GFC.Whether you’re interested in distressed debt, Texas real estate, AI, data centers, or the mindset behind durable compounding, this episode is a must-listen. Join us as we dive into the skepticism, stamina, and timing that helped Fernando build across real estate, private equity, and operating businesses.Shoutout to our sponsor, Lennar Investor Marketplace. New construction rental investments with comps, returns, and underwriting built in.TOPICS00:00 – Introduction to Fernando De Leon07:00 – Early Real Estate Lessons on the Border14:00 – Harvard, Mentors, and Long-Term Seeds21:40 – Leaving Goldman and Optioning Texas Land28:29 – Buying…

People in this episode

Guest: Fernando De Leon

Topics covered

• real estate
• entrepreneurship
• investment strategies
• distressed debt
• AI and data centers
• mental health in business

Keywords

• real estate
• Leon Capital Group
• distressed debt
• AI
• Goldman Sachs
• Harvard
• entrepreneurship
• investment
• mental health

Sponsors

Lennar Investor Marketplace

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Leon Capital Group, Harvard, Goldman Sachs

Places: Matamoros, South Texas

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