Simon graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and earned a degree in accounting from the City College of New York in 1949.
After leaving the military, he decided to stay in Indianapolis and took a job as a leasing agent where he saw the potential in real estate.
By 1967, they owned and operated more than 3 million square feet of retail property and expanded nationally.
They would entice a large anchor tenant, typically a department store, to their planned mall by charging them less rent and then would use the contract to obtain bank financing for the construction usually with minimal investment from the Simons.
In 1998, the company reverted to the Simon Property Group name[6] and maintains its title as the largest mall operator in the United States, owning 386 properties in North America, Europe and Asia; clocking 2.8 billion shopper visits each year, and having annual sales in excess of $60 billion.
Burns' eldest children contested that he was suffering from dementia when he signed the new will which boosted the share of his fortune going to Bren from one-third to one-half.
[7][13][14][15] The judge presiding over the settlement agreed to close the final December 12, 2012, hearing and accept the terms under seal.
Although Cynthia Simon-Skjodt declined to comment on the agreement, other than to say she was "glad it's over", upon entering into an elevator with Deborah Simon one of the sisters yelled out a celebratory "YEAH!"