Who Is Nir Meir? Wiki, Age, Net Worth, Wife, Family, Religion, House, and More
Nir Meir is a former New York property developer who is currently facing serious legal troubles. He was once a partner at HFZ Capital Group, a prominent real estate firm that managed more than $10 billion worth of luxury projects in the city. However, his lavish lifestyle and alleged fraud schemes led to the collapse of the company and a slew of lawsuits from investors, creditors, and his former partner.
He was arrested in Miami in February 2024 and extradited to New York to face charges of larceny, conspiracy, falsifying business records, tax fraud, and money laundering. He is accused of stealing more than $86 million from various parties since 2015.
Early Life and Career
Nir Meir was born in January 1975, making him 49 years old as of 2024. He grew up in Israel and moved to the United States in the late 1990s. He started his career in real estate as a broker and then joined Property Markets Group (PMG), a national development firm co-founded by Kevin Maloney and Gary Barnett, who later founded Extell Development Company.
At PMG, Meir worked with Ziel Feldman, who became his mentor and partner. In 2005, Feldman and Meir left PMG and founded HFZ Capital Group, a real estate development and investment company based in Manhattan. HFZ specializes in acquiring, developing, and converting luxury residential and mixed-use properties in New York and beyond. Some of its notable projects include The Belnord, The Bryant, The Marquand, and The XI.
Meir was the principal and managing director of HFZ, overseeing the company’s operations, finances, and marketing. He was also involved in sourcing and structuring deals, raising capital, and managing relationships with investors, lenders, and contractors. He was known for his charisma, ambition, and extravagant spending habits. He owned several expensive cars, a yacht, a private jet, and multiple homes in New York, the Hamptons, and Miami. He also frequented high-end restaurants, clubs, and parties, where he mingled with celebrities, politicians, and socialites.
Nir Meir Wiki/Bio
| Name | Nir Meir |
| Birth date | January 1975 |
| Birthplace | Israel |
| Residence | Miami Beach, Florida |
| Occupation | Former real estate developer and executive |
| Known for | Being a partner at HFZ Capital Group and being involved in several fraud and larceny cases |
| Net worth | Unknown, but likely diminished due to legal troubles and debts |
| Spouse | Ranee Bartolacci (divorced) |
| Children | Two |
| Religion | Likely Jewish, but not very religious or observant |
| nirmeiri | |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Personal Life, Spouse & Kids
Nir Meir married Ranee Bartolacci, a former model and actress, in 2010. They have two children, a son and a daughter. Bartolacci is the daughter of Frank Bartolacci, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist who owns several companies, including a furniture manufacturing firm and a car dealership.
Meir and Bartolacci’s marriage was reportedly rocky and tumultuous, marked by frequent arguments, infidelity, and abuse. Bartolacci filed for divorce in 2021, accusing Meir of being an alcoholic, a drug addict, a compulsive liar, and a cheater. She also claimed that he was verbally and physically abusive towards her and their children, and that he threatened to harm her and her family if she left him.
She alleged that he borrowed hundreds of thousands of dollars from her father and never paid him back, and that he transferred most of his assets to her name without her knowledge or consent, exposing her to legal liabilities and judgments. She said that he kept her in the dark about his financial and legal troubles, and that he forged bank statements and other documents to deceive her and their investors.
Bartolacci is currently seeking a divorce from Meir and trying to distance herself from his problems. She is also suing him for spousal and child support, as well as a share of his assets. She has moved to Miami Beach with their children, where she is renting a waterfront mansion for $150,000 a month. She is also being sued by her landlord, Mathieu Massa, a Miami Beach developer and hospitality mogul, who alleges that she made unauthorized alterations to the property, such as replacing furniture, appliances, pool equipment, and landscaping, and having an exotic bearded dragon as a pet
Controversies
Nir Meir’s personal life has also been the subject of other controversies and scandals. In 2019, he was accused of hiring someone to impersonate a Korean investor to convince a concerned HFZ investor that a fake $100 million Korean investment was real. He was also accused of faking wire transfers, invoices, and contracts to cover up his frauds and embezzlement.
He was also involved in a dispute with his former friend and business partner, Yoav Harlap, an Israeli car mogul who lent HFZ $18.5 million for an Upper East Side development that went bust. Harlap sued Meir and Feldman for the debt, and obtained a $19.7 million judgment against Meir in 2021. Harlap alleged that Meir ran away to Miami Beach and transferred his assets to his wife’s name to avoid paying him.
Legal Woes and Arrest
Nir Meir’s legal woes began in 2020, when HFZ started to face financial difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the slowdown of the luxury condo market, and the mismanagement of the company’s funds. HFZ defaulted on several loans, missed payments to contractors and vendors, and faced lawsuits from investors, creditors, and partners. The company also lost control of some of its flagship projects, such as The XI, a two-tower mixed-use development in Chelsea designed by Bjarke Ingels, which went into foreclosure in 2021.
Meir was blamed by Feldman for the company’s downfall, and was fired from HFZ in 2020. Feldman sued Meir for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and conversion, alleging that Meir stole millions of dollars from the company and its investors, and used them for his personal expenses and debts. Feldman also accused Meir of lying about the company’s financial situation, inflating the costs and revenues of the projects, and creating fake entities and accounts to divert funds. Feldman is seeking at least $50 million in damages from Meir.
Meir denied Feldman’s allegations, and countersued him for defamation, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment, claiming that Feldman was the one who mismanaged the company and its funds, and that he scapegoated Meir for his own failures. Meir also accused Feldman of withholding his salary, bonuses, and equity, and of trying to ruin his reputation and career. Meir is seeking at least $100 million in damages from Feldman.
In addition to Feldman’s lawsuit, Nir Meir is also facing criminal charges from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which indicted him and six other real estate industry executives in February 2024 for allegedly running complex schemes that swindled investors, contractors, and the City of New York out of more than $86 million since 2015. The case largely centers on the development of The XI project, which Meir allegedly used as a vehicle to divert funds from a trust account to other HFZ projects and personal accounts, in violation of the law and the agreements with the lenders and investors. Meir also allegedly conspired with the executives of Omnibuild, a construction firm hired by HFZ, to inflate the invoices and costs of the project, and to falsify business records and tax returns. Meir also allegedly forged bank statements and other documents to mislead investors and creditors about the company’s financial status.
Arrest
Meir was arrested in Miami-Dade County on February 7, 2024, as an out-of-state fugitive, and was extradited to New York to face the charges. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10 million bail. He is facing up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Physical Stats
| Height | In feet: 5′ 11″. |
| Weight | 80 Kg |
| Eyes | Brown. |
| Hair | Black. |
Net Worth
Nir Meir’s net worth is not publicly known, but it is likely to have diminished significantly due to his legal troubles and debts. According to court filings, Meir claimed to have only $50 in his name when he filed for bankruptcy in Florida in February 2024, and listed nearly $30 million in liabilities, mostly from judgments and lawsuits. However, his creditors and opponents have questioned the veracity of his claims, and accused him of hiding and transferring his assets to avoid paying them.
House
Nir Meir owns several properties in New York, the Hamptons, and Miami, but his most notable one is his penthouse at The XI, the same project that he allegedly used to defraud millions of dollars. He bought the penthouse in 2018 for $34.5 million, making it one of the most expensive sales in Chelsea at the time. The penthouse is located on the 36th floor of the west tower, and spans 5,663 square feet, with four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a private elevator, a fireplace, a library, a media room, and a terrace with panoramic views of the Hudson River and the city skyline. The penthouse also comes with access to the amenities of the Six Senses Hotel, which occupies the lower floors of the tower, such as a spa, a gym, a pool, a restaurant, and a bar.
However, Meir’s penthouse is now in jeopardy, as the lenders of The XI project have foreclosed on the property and are seeking to sell it to recover their losses. The lenders, led by CIM Group, filed a lawsuit against Meir in 2021, alleging that he breached the contract and the mortgage agreement by failing to pay the monthly installments, interest, taxes, and fees, and by diverting funds from the project’s trust account to his accounts. The lenders claim that Meir owes them more than $40 million, including the principal, interest, penalties, and legal costs. The lenders also accuse Meir of fraudulently obtaining the mortgage by submitting false financial statements and documents, and of using the penthouse as collateral for other loans without their consent.
