Bruce Ratner (born January 23, 1945, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American real estate developer, philanthropist, and former minority owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.
Simultaneously, Ratner served as the head of the Consumer Protection Division in the administration of New York City mayor John Lindsay.
Under Mayor Ed Koch he became consumer affairs commissioner where he went after corrupt merchants, repairmen and alarm companies.
[18] In 2007, Ratner's company, Forest City Realty Trust completed construction and opened the New York Times Building.
[19] In 2011, Ratner's company, Forest City Realty Trust completed construction and opened New York By Gehry.
[21] Barclays Center is the centerpiece and the only completed piece of a $3.5 billion sports arena, business and residential complex in development called Pacific Park Brooklyn.
On September 23, 2009, Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov reached a deal with Ratner to purchase an 80% stake of the Nets for $200 million, subject to Ratner acquiring financing for the arena project and control of the land by the end of the year in addition to the approval of three-fourths of the NBA board of governors.
[23] According to Ratner, accepting Prokhorov as majority owner "gives us a partner who adds to the financial strength of the venture.
[24] Ratner originally planned to move the Nets across the Hudson River for the beginning of the 2009–10 NBA season.
[29] Ratner serves on a number of boards including the Weill Cornell Medical College, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Lang Lang International Music Foundation, and the Museum of Jewish Heritage as chairman of its trustees board.