His mother was Barbara Ingrid Beitz, an ethnic German whose parents were declared as "Righteous among the Nations" for providing refuge and risking their lives to save Jews during World War II.
[2] Ziff studied undergraduate electrical and computer engineering at Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude.
[4] Robert and his brothers Dirk and Daniel inherited the family fortune in 1994 after their father sold 95% of the business to Forstmann Little for $1.4 billion and retired.
[5] Robert is married to fellow Cornell Law School graduate and attorney Michelle Angelic Locher.
[4][7][8] His wife donated $40,000 to the campaign of Montana governor Steve Bullock, Democrat (second only to David Gray, a partner and chief legal officer at Ziff Brothers Investments who gave $45,000).