The year was 1976 when BU and his family immigrated to the US, a country he aptly describes as a “land of opportunities.” They had left Zambia that year, a nation that had become independent from British rule in 1964 but was in the throes of internal turmoil. He had to wind up his garment factory that employed 200 people, because his sixth-sense told him that a Uganda-like situation could arise in Zambia as well. The winds of change were blowing, and a possibility that Indians living in Zambia could be forced out, similar to the 1972 Idi-Amin style evictions from Kampala—about 1500 miles north of Lusaka, the Zambian capital—was not entirely impossible.

As he began to scout for opportunities in Los Angeles, he came across Hacienda Inn, a small motel in Anaheim that was up for sale. He did not have to look back after that. Today he owns top properties like the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego and the San Mateo Marriot, among others. The Tarsadia Investments, named after the town in Gujarat close to which he was born, manages about USD 2 billion in capital. It has completed over 200 acquisitions and sales transactions totaling over USD 4 billion. Investment sectors include Life Sciences—pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare technology, Financial Services—financial technology, financial industry services, Technology—augmented reality, wearables, clean technology, Real Estate—hospital, net leases, Alternative Investment—asset management platforms. The American Dream that Bhikubhai Ukabhai Patel set out to live, has truly been his.