Steven Ferencz Udvar-Házy is a Hungarian-American businessman, the self-made billionaire Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) and Co-founder of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). His career is rooted in aviation, finance, and entrepreneurial audacity.

Udvar-Házy holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His philosophical approach centers on scale, risk management, and long-term asset hold in the essential aviation leasing sector (pioneering the modern aircraft leasing model). He emigrated from Hungary to the U.S. during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

• Air Lease Corporation (ALC) (Executive Chairman & Founder): The core publicly traded asset, a major global lessor of commercial aircraft to airlines worldwide.
• ILFC (Former Co-founder): The foundational source of his wealth, the major aircraft leasing company he sold to AIG for $1.3 billion in 1990.
• Aviation Pioneer: His success is built on scale financial innovation and dominating the market for commercial aircraft leasing (a key structural component of the global airline industry).
• Academic Background: He holds a B.S. in Economics from UCLA.

Steven Udvar-Házy's strategic genius was his commitment to asset finance. He co-founded ILFC in 1973 (with Leslie Gonda and his son, Louis Gonda), recognizing the structural shift of airlines moving from owning to leasing aircraft. The company was sold to AIG in 1990. His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the modern operating lease model for commercial aviation.

He later founded Air Lease Corporation (ALC) in 2010 (after leaving AIG), quickly building it into a major global player. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global aviation and aircraft leasing sector.

Steven Udvar-Házy's social impact stems from ALC's role in providing essential capital and aircraft to airlines globally, supporting the efficiency and expansion of global air travel. His personal philanthropy supports various educational and community initiatives, including major contributions to the National Air and Space Museum and UCLA.

His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives.

Steven Udvar-Házy maintains the professional, composed style of a corporate executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the global aviation sector.

Residing in Beverly Hills, California, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to investment strategy, aviation finance, and corporate governance.