Suvarna Garge (Editor)

G. Philip Stephenson

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Nationality
  
American

G. Philip Stephenson wwwnautilusliveorgsitesdefaultfilesstyleshe

Born
  
March 16, 1965 (age 52) (
1965-03-16
)

Alma maters
  
Harvard College, Harvard Law School

G. Philip Stephenson (born March 16, 1965) is an American businessman, philanthropist, film producer, and ocean conservationist. He is Chairman of the Freedom Group, a set of companies focused on portfolio investing, real estate and hotel development, and media. He also operates a private foundation bearing his name. Mr. Stephenson lives in Northern Virginia and on the private Caribbean island of Petit St. Vincent.

Contents

Early life

Stephenson grew up in Houston, Texas, where he graduated from The Kinkaid School in 1983. He received a magna cum laude BA degree in Government from Harvard College in 1986 and a magna cum laude in JD from Harvard Law School in 1990.

Career

After graduating from law school, Stephenson practiced corporate law in the Washington DC office of Baker & Botts (1990-1991). After briefly serving as a Schedule C appointee in the US Treasury (1991-1993), he founded and served as a General Partner of International Equity Partners (IEP), an investment firm specializing in Asian and East European markets (1993-2001). After selling IEP, he became a shareholder in and Vice Chairman of the Rompetrol Group, a large multinational oil refining and marketing company headquartered in the Netherlands. He sold his entire stake in the Rompetrol Group in late 2007.

Freedom capital and development

These Virginia based companies make and monitor public and private investments, including multifamily rental real estate in Northern Virginia.

  • Petit St. Vincent - In 2010 Stephenson, through Freedom Resorts Ltd, led the buyout of the 115-acre private island of Petit Saint Vincent in the southern Grenadines. The 22 room boutique hotel there was further renovated and has won many awards. In 2014 Jean Michel Cousteau opened a diving center on the island.
  • Freedom Media - In 2013 Mr. Stephenson established Freedom Media, which has since invested in 4 independent films, including the critically acclaimed “Maggie’s Plan” (starring Julianne Moore, Ethan Hawke and Greta Gerwig) to be theatrically released by Sony Pictures Classics in 2016.
  • The Stephenson Foundation - The Stephenson Foundation is a 501(c) (3) private foundation which promotes exploration, protection, education and enjoyment of the world’s oceans. The foundation’s multi-year and project commitments include:
  • National Geographic’s “Pristine Seas” project,
  • The Nature Conservancy’s program in the Eastern Caribbean,
  • Jean Michel Cousteau's 'Ocean Futures Society',
  • Dr. Robert Ballard's 'Ocean Exploration Trust,'
  • Dr. Sylvia Earle’s “Mission Blue/Hopespots” program.

    • Stephenson also serves on National Geographic’s International Council of Advisors.

    References

    G. Philip Stephenson Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA