Sam Zell, Real Estate Titan With Taste for Risk, Dies at 81 (3)

Sam Zell, the billionaire investor who called himself “the Grave Dancer” for his bets on distressed assets, including a losing wager that drove the Tribune Co. into bankruptcy, has died. He was 81.

He died today due to complications from a recent illness, according to a statement from his company, Equity Group Investments, which called him “a self-made, visionary entrepreneur.”

Zell cut an elfin figure and cultivated a rebellious persona, with displays of salty language, a penchant for motorcycles and frequent media appearances. The Chicago-born son of Polish refugees, he built a fortune in real estate and a hodgepodge ...