Houston billionaire Fertitta to star in reality TV show
Houston’s Tilman Fertitta is one of the richest men in America. He oversees restaurants, hotels and casinos that buy $2 billion a year in supplies each year. And he is not shy with his opinions.
CNBC thinks it’s found a way to put the colorful Houston billionaire’s expertise to use in guiding new small businesses and hopefully drawing viewers. He will be the star of CNBC’s new prime-time reality show “Billion Dollar Buyer.”
Landry’s CEO Fertitta, who runs operations around the country, will give advice to small businesses on the program. CNBC’s show will introduce such businesses from across the nation to Fertitta. He will offer suggestions to the startup companies after reviewing their operations and ultimately will decide if he wants to do business with them.
“I started out as a young entrepreneur, and I am really eager to connect with a whole new generation of young and promising startups from across the country,” Fertitta said in a statement provided to the Chronicle.
“I look forward to sharing the lessons I have learned from building a business from the ground up into a global company. First and foremost, I am a businessman, and when approached by CNBC — a top-rated business network — it seemed like an ideal fit,” he added.
Fertitta oversees 500 properties and more than 50 restaurants, hotels and entertainment brands from the high-end Mastro’s and Morton’s The Steakhouse to the mainstream such as Rainforest Café, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Saltgrass Steak House and five Golden Nugget Casinos.
The show will chronicle Fertitta scouting the country for innovative new products. The hourlong episodes feature him spending time with two small businesses, sampling their goods, getting to know the owners and deciding if they would be a fit to work with Landry’s. He’ll also share advice with the owners, including suggesting improvements.
“We know there’s an appetite for high-quality programming that dives into the world of small business and celebrates the American Dream,” Jim Ackerman, executive vice president,
Primetime Alternative at CNBC, said in a statement. “With the addition of ‘Billion Dollar Buyer’ to our already robust lineup, CNBC continues to be the home for programs that celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit,” the network leader said.
Fertitta has shot six episodes for the spring broadcast and will start shooting again for a summer season. The series premieres on March 22 on CNBC at 9 p.m. Houston time.