Admit one
Israel America
- Year
- 1976
- Age
- 17
- In his pocket
- $20
- English
- Hardly any
Jay Adoni (Jacob Adoni) Entrepreneur, fashion and real estate
He arrived with $20.
He built brands America wore.
At 17, Jay Adoni came to the United States from Israel, hardly speaking English. Two years later he founded LJ Simone, one of the most successful American fashion accessories brands of the 1980s.
The ledger
Four decades, written in sales.
From a shoe factory shipping clerk to a founder, a company president, a securities professional and a developer of supermarkets and shopping centers.
Business results
- LJ Simone, annual sales at its height
- $120M+
- Employees at Admos Shoe Corporation, 1986
- 250+
- PLV Studio majority interest acquired by VMG Partners, 2014
- $35M
- Glen Cove supermarket sale to Ahold, 2001
- $26M
Company sales and transaction values. Not personal income.
Three chapters
One man. Three careers.
The journey1976
$20
and no English
Bus boy, cook, painter, warehouseman. Then his own company at 19.
Fashion1978
$120M+
LJ Simone annual sales
LJ Simone, Pentland USA, Pour La Victoire, Kelsi Dagger and Modern Vice.
Real estate1995
Glen Cove
New York
Supermarkets and a shopping center, developed, managed and sold.
In his words
It can still happen in this country.
Jay Adoni, quoted in The Dynamos
Profiled in The Dynamos: Who Are They, Anyway? by Brett Kingstone, a book on top entrepreneurs under 30.
Contents
The whole story.
Twelve chapters, from a twenty dollar arrival to fashion houses, securities licenses and shopping centers.
Quick answers
Who is Jay Adoni?
Who is Jay Adoni?
Jay Adoni, born Jacob Adoni, is an entrepreneur who came to the United States from Israel at 17 with $20. He founded the fashion accessories brand LJ Simone in 1978 and PLV Studio in 2007, and develops commercial real estate in New York.
What companies has Jay Adoni founded?
LJ Simone, a handbag and shoe brand registered to his company Admos Shoe Corp., and PLV Studio, Inc., maker of Pour La Victoire and Kelsi Dagger. He is also the sole member of Harbor Park Realty, LLC.
How big did LJ Simone grow?
He built LJ Simone to over $120 million in annual sales. Pentland Brands acquired it in 1993 and he became President of Pentland USA.
What has Jay Adoni done in real estate?
As a licensed Real Estate Broker he developed a ShopRite site in Glen Cove, New York, managed its sale to Ahold, developed a supermarket sold to King Kullen and built a Walgreens anchored shopping center.
Open for conversation
Partners, founders and press.
Have an idea, a property or a story? Send a note and Jay's office will reply.