Who Is Rich Kleiman? 10 Things You Didn't Know About Him

Rich Kleiman is an American businessman and sports agent. Over the years, he has been associated with a couple of sports players and entertainers.

He is quite powerful and influential when it comes to the sports business.

He works with NBA stars such as Kevin Durant as his manager and is an agent for a couple of other basketball players.

Rich Kleiman has been involved in a lot of business deals over the years that have uplifted his status to a point that cannot be ignored.

Brief Biography Of Rich Kleiman

Rich Adam Kleiman was born on the 27^th of November 1976 in Manhattan, New York, United States of America.

His parents are Kenneth Kleiman and Jill Kleiman. Rich grew up with his parents and sister but spent most of his childhood and youth with his sister.

Rich attended Ethical Culture Fieldstone School and also enrolled at Boston University. While in school, he was also a sportsman and he played against the likes of Ted Smith.

Here Are 10 Interesting Facts About Rich Kleiman You Should Know

1. What You Didn’t Know About His Parents

Rich Kleiman was born to the family of Kenneth and Jill Kleiman. Kenneth Kleiman was an interior designer while Jill Kleiman was a lease broker who worked at Williams Real Estate.

As earlier stated, Rich grew up under the guidance of his parents.

2. He Has A History In Gambling

In Rich’s early twenties, he was on his way to establishing himself as a notable gambler. He had dropped out of the university and was running an illegal sports gambling operation. This operation was happening in the city of New York and Rich had over a hundred clients.

Although the business of gambling didn’t quite succeed, Rich did achieve a lot. He learned life-saving skills such as networking and how to build a business.

Rich became a renowned celebrity manager as a result of the skills he acquired during his youthful days.

3. He Is Kevin Durant’s Best Friend

Over time, Rich and Kevin Durant’s relationship moved from being just athlete and manager to being business partners and then ultimately, best friends.

Kevin Durant places his relationship with Rich Kleiman so highly that they keep in constant communication.

ESPN magazine has described their relationship as one that is ‘very close’. They reported that Rich is the first and mostly sole person Durant calls every morning and when he needs someone to talk to.

4. Beginning Of Kleiman’s Career In Entertainment

Rich was the vice president of Roc Nation. Roc Nation was an entertainment agency owned by superstar rapper, Jay Z.

However, his career in the entertainment industry began before Roc Nation. He started his entertainment business at Radical Media where he served as a music supervisor. He then went ahead to be a producer who is attributed for works on projects with the likes of Jay Z.

5. Rich Kleiman Worked With Roc Nation

Rich started working with Roc Nation in 2008 as a music manager. He was responsible for artists, producers, and DJs such as D Nice, Mark Ronson, Solange Knowles, Wale, and Meek Mill.

Apart from working on Jay-Z’s feature-length documentary titled ‘Fade To Black’, Rich had a few more deals with Roc Nation.

He helped launch Roc Nation Sport and partnered with sportsmen such as Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and a lot of other athletes.

6. Rich As A Sports Manager

He served in the capacity of athlete manager for quite a while. Kleiman became Kevin Durant’s manager in 2013. Rich Kleiman is notably recognized for being NBA star, Kevin Durant’s manager, and business partner.

He is great at doing his job as he knows just what to do to get the right contract and bag his athlete a mega endorsement deal.

Rich moved from just being a manager to expanding his business mindset, and then to other ventures and fields.

7. He Co-founded Thirty-Five Ventures

Thirty-Five Ventures is a business venture run by best friends, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman. Rich moved to partner with Durant in 2017 after leaving Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

The business is the incorporation of Kevin Durant’s business entities as well as that of Kleiman. It includes all of Durant’s personal brand portfolio, contracts, investments, media, and creative development, and his foundation.

The partners have invested their time, energy, and money into building a media business that grew from a simple YouTube channel to a show on ESPN and now to a media company called Boardroom.

They also see to charitable activities with includes refurbishing and building basketball courts in schools that lack the appropriate facilities.

Thirty-Five Ventures is a combination of a lot of dreams and ideas that Rich and Kevin decided to bring to life.

8. Rich Kleiman Married His Longtime Girlfriend

Kleiman married his long-time girlfriend, Jana Kleiman. Rich and Jana had been dating for a long time and eventually got married in November 2003. Their wedding was a Jewish-inspired ceremony.

Jana used to work as a director of marketing and public relations at Monsac Handbags. She attended Brown University and is also a native of the United States of America.

They have two children now, daughters named Bella and Olivia. Rich Kleiman and his family currently live where he grew up, in Manhattan, New York.

9. He Has Been Recognized By Forbes

Being in the business world for so long, it is quite inevitable not to be recognized. Therefore, Forbes has accorded Rich Kleiman the recognition he duly deserves.

According to Forbes, Rich is a visionary businessman who has an established track record in starting and building companies as well as investing in brands.

Forbes also admits that Rich Kleiman has over the years been able to disrupt existing markets and take control of business and markets.

10. What Is Rich Kleiman’s Net Worth?

Anyone who is familiar with sports and the business involved in it would have surely heard about Rich Kleiman. The successful businessman cum athlete manager has made himself relevant in the world of sport and the entertainment business.

Throughout his career in building businesses and managing athletes, 48 year old Rich Kleiman has gathered wealth amounting to an estimated net worth of $10 million.

However, his career is still steadily growing and his net worth would most likely follow in the same vein.