Who Is Stanley Chera? Trump Friend And Billionaire Donor Dies Of Coronavirus

The death of one 79-year-old man would normally not be headline news even if that man was a prominent New York City real estate developer. But because that man was also a personal friend of the President of the United States and a major donor to his party, and the cause of death is a global pandemic, the death will take center stage of any news outlet.

Stanley Chera passed away on Saturday (April 11), succumbing to complications related to COVID-19 that so far has taken the lives of close to 9,400 New Yorkers. But who was Stanley Chera?

He was born in 1942 to a Syrian-Jewish family in Brooklyn. His family owned a chain of children’s specialty stores called Young World and eventually, he began by buying the building that contained the family’s retail stores. Crown Acquisitions was formed, and their current holdings include many notable NYC properties, such as The St. Regis New York and the Cartier Mansion. He is survived by his wife, Frieda, who also tested positive for the virus, and three sons.

At a 2019 rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, President Donald J. Trump spoke of his friend describing him as "one of the biggest builders and real estate people in the world” and adding, "…and he's a great guy and he's been with me from the beginning.” Chera had made donations totaling $402,800 to Donald J. Trump for President Inc. and Trump Victory, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Chera's Crown Acquisitions had also done business with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner who is now a senior White House adviser. In 2008, Crown completed a deal with The Kushner Companies and private equity firm The Carlyle Group for a stake in the retail portion of the building at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Chera was hospitalized on March 24 and five days later Trump described his friend’s condition and spoke of the “viciousness” of the disease. Trump said, “I had a friend who went to a hospital the other day. He’s a little older, and he’s heavy, but he’s a tough person. And he went to the hospital, and a day later, he’s in a coma ... he’s not doing well. The speed and the viciousness, especially if it gets the right person, it’s horrible. It’s really horrible.”

It appeared to some observers that Chera’s illness and death had struck home with Trump and that his outlook on the COVID-19 pandemic had changed, possibly swaying his recent decisions on the pandemic. Trump said his decisions were based on seeing the statistics and the rising case numbers and not because of his friend's passing.

Chera’s legacy will be for much more than being a good friend of the President. He was a philanthropist who funded many causes, especially those for special needs children for whom he had an “ultimate philanthropic passion,” according to a source who spoke to CNN. Chera was also a co-founder of the nonprofit Sephardic Community Center in Brooklyn.

The biggest lesson to be learned with Chera’s death is that everyone, no matter how rich or powerful can be struck down by a virus that has no other purpose than to infect.