Who is Michael Rubin, and why is he friends with so many famous people?

• Michael Rubin threw a "white party" filled with tons of A-list celebrities and athletes.

• Rubin is the CEO of sports merchandise company Fanatics.

• He's also involved in criminal justice-reform, working with Meek Mill on the REFORM Alliance.

On July 3, Michael Rubin's Hamptons home was the place to be. 

Well, it certainly was if you were an A-list celebrity or athlete. Rubin's "white party" attracted celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Beyoncé to Rubin's criminal justice-reform partner, Meek Mill, their all-white outfits splashed across social media after the event.

While Rubin's name may not be as well known to the average person as some of his guests', the reported billionaire is an influential figure in both the sports industry as the CEO of Fanatics, a sports merchandise company, and is known for having a vast, and diverse, social circle.

Rubin is the CEO of Fanatics, a sports merchandise retailer, and is reportedly worth billions.

According to a profile of Rubin by Insider's John Lynch, the entrepreneur got his start as a teenager running a ski equipment business in Philadelphia. In his 20s, he dropped out of school to launch Global Sports Incorporated, an apparel and logistics company.

Rubin later sold that company, later known as GSI Commerce, to eBay in 2011 for $2.4 billion. As part of that deal, he kept Fanatics — the production section of the company.

Fanatics provides officially licensed sports merchandise in addition to other services like digital asset collection, and betting, according to the company's website.

Forbes estimates that Rubin's net worth, as of July 7, was approximately $11.4 billion.

Rubin is also the co-chair of the REFORM Alliance.

The REFORM Alliance is a criminal justice-reform organization that, per its website, "aims to transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems and culture to create real pathways to work and wellbeing."

The organization, Insider previously reported, was launched after rapper Meek Mill was released from prison in 2018, following a controversial two-to-four year prison sentence over a probation violation.

Mill and Rubin are co-chairs of the organization, whose board of directors includes CEO Robert Rooks, founding partners Clara Wu Tsai, Laura Arnold, Michael Novogratz, Robert Kraft, Robert F. Smith, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, and board member Priscilla Chan.

In 2019, Insider reported, Rubin, Mill, Kraft, and Tsai put together a trip for 50 children who had a parent who was in prison or who had been incarcerated or undergone a probation extension as a result of technical probation violations.

Rubin used to hold stake in both the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils.

According to People, Rubin purchased a minority share in the 76ers in 2011, and purchased stake in the New Jersey Devils in 2013.

However, in 2022, he sold his stake in the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment company that owns both teams. In a statement to ESPN, he said that he divested due to potential conflict-of-interest concerns given Fanatics' expansion into sports betting.

Rubin's social network includes a number of high-profile celebrities and athletes.

As Insider previously reported, Rubin has a reputation for hosting "star-studded," as Migos rapper Quavo put it, parties.

His 2020 Super Bowl party included guests like Jay-Z, Alex Rodriguez, Emily Ratajkowski, Post Malone, and Shaquille O'Neal.

"I do like bringing people together," Rubin told The New York Times in 2021. "I have such a diverse set of friends, and I like to see them learn and grow from each other."

Rubin told Insider that year that he's "like a sponge" and learns from his friends, saying his social circle was one of his greatest assets.

"I think if you have a diverse group of friends, you can constantly learn from each other," Rubin told Insider. "Robert Kraft and I learn from each other. Meek and I learn from each other. Quavo and I learn from each other. Gary Vee and I learn from each other. One of my best skillsets is the diversity of friends that I have."

His "white party" in 2023 brought together numerous A-list celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, and Tom Brady.

The "white party" took place in the Hamptons, and its dress code — as suggested by the name — was all-white.

Per The New York Times, the first "white party" occurred in 2021 after Rubin purchased his $50 million Bridgehampton home in 2020. The celebration that year served as a housewarming event.

Celebrities in attendance at the 2023 party included Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian, Emily Ratajkowski, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lori Harvey, Travis Scott, and Justin and Hailey Bieber, a source close to Rubin told Insider. Rubin also uploaded numerous photos from the event to his personal Instagram account.

Rubin's daughter, Kylie Rubin, also posted photos of the event to her personal Instagram account, writing in the caption that she would be "taking over the party list starting July 2027," tagging her father and writing, "bye bye."

"May cut u off the list next year for sport!!" Michael wrote in the comments.

In addition to his daughter Kylie, Rubin has two young daughters with Camille Fishel.

People reported that Rubin and his ex-wife, Meegan Rubin, split in 2011 but coparent their daughter Kylie.

He's been since linked to model Camille Fishel since 2016, per People. The pair share two children: Romi, who was born in 2020, and Gema, who was born in 2022.

Read the original article on Insider