Mr. Adelman worked in various capacities, including as a leasing agent, with Campus Apartments while attending OSU. He took over as CEO from his mentor, Alan Horwitz, at just 25 years old in 1997. Over the course of the next three decades, he built the company into one of the largest on- and off-campus student housing providers in the United States. It currently has more than $2 billion in assets under management, with a diverse real estate portfolio consisting of mid- and high-rise buildings, garden-style properties, and mixed-use and urban scattered-site housing.
A proud member of the Philadelphia business community, David Adelman, through Campus Apartments, has partnered with several area schools, including the University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University. He directed Campus Apartments’ construction of an extended-stay hotel and condos for the University of Pennsylvania and an apartment complex on the Franklin & Marshall College campus. In 2009, Multifamily Executive named David Adelman Executive of the Year.
More recently, David Adelman has initiated Campus Apartments growth opportunities outside of Pennsylvania with projects in Georgia and Maryland. In 2024, the company began work on a $148.75 million, 741-bed, LEED Silver-certified housing project for graduate students at the University of Maryland, College Park. Campus Apartments now has a project portfolio encompassing more than 50 colleges and universities in 18 states and employs over 500 people.
In addition to real estate, David Adelman invests in and advises startups in deep tech, climate tech, sports and media, food and beverage, and consumer products. He directs these investments through his family investment office, Darco Capital, which he founded in 2010. Since then, Mr. Adelman has built a diverse portfolio of successful companies, including the world’s fastest-growing used manufacturing equipment marketplace (Moov), a premium outdoor living and grilling retailer (BBQ Guys), one of the most notable sports apparel companies (Fanatics), and a leading renewable producer of nitrogen fertilizer (Remo Energy).
David Adelman also co-founded FS Investments and serves as vice chairman of the leading alternative asset manager, which has more than $80 billion in assets under management. In addition, he is a partner in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), which owns or maintains a stake in professional sports franchises and venues like the New Jersey Devils (NHL), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), Utica Comets (AHL), Delaware Blue Coats (NBA G-League), and Prudential Center. As a co-owner of the 76ers—and a committed supporter of the Philly business community—he currently is leading efforts to build a new stadium for the 76ers in South Philadelphia.
Mr. Adelman serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Penn Medicine Board of Trustees. He lives in the Philadelphia metro area with his wife, who is a film producer and children’s book author, and his two daughters.
