He dropped out of Brooklyn Law School after the death of his father, when he began working to support his mother.
[6] His first job was trading options and bonds for the Wall Street firm, Lawrence Kotkin Associates.
[9] In 1998, Alexander attempted to purchase and relocate the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers franchise, but a grassroots bid by local businessmen successfully prevented the sale.
[11] Leslie Alexander launched a joint-venture with the Chinese businessman Kenneth Huang (founder of Sportscorp in China), which invests in many companies in Asia.
[12] In 2006, a group of investors led by Kenneth Huang bought a minority share in the Rockets from Leslie Alexander.
[14] On September 5, 2017, he reached an agreement to sell the Rockets to fellow Texas businessman Tilman Fertitta, pending league approval, for a worldwide professional sports record of $2.2 billion.
[22] Forbes estimated Alexander's net worth was approximately $1.9 billion in 2024, placing him at #1710 on the magazine's list of richest people in the United States.
[25][26] In 1998, he and his now ex-wife, Nanci Shnapier, were recognized as the largest individual donors to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).