Blackstone Real Estate Head Leads Return to New York Ballroom

When Covid-19 hit New York, Nadeem Meghji went to Toronto to be with his family, motivated by fear. Meghji’s niece and his brother-in-law have lupus, which puts them at high risk for the virus.

On Monday, Meghji’s family made it to Manhattan to see him honored by the Lupus Research Alliance. It was a big night in the Ziegfeld Ballroom, full of joy, with singers belting “We Are Family,” and $7.5 million raised -- more than twice the previous gala record.

Nadeem Meghji and his niece, Aaliya Qassim

Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg

How did the alliance’s youngest honoree do it?

“That fear amplified the urgency,” Meghji, 41, said.

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