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Sol Zakay

Chairman & CEO

Topland Group

London, UK

Topland Group
Sol Zakay
Peter Zaffino
AIG
Mohammed Zarroug
Lumen Investments

Sol’s Biography

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Sol Zakay is a prominent British businessman and founder of Topland Group. A self-made billionaire, Sol has built up a multibillion-pound property empire and established Topland as one of Europe’s largest privately-owned real estate and investment companies.

With a combined wealth of £3.5bn, Sol and his brother Eddie ranked at #52 on The Sunday Times Rich List in 2023.

A pioneer of the sale-leaseback deal, Sol has completed SLB transactions worth over £4bn. In 2001 he secured a £348m leaseback agreement with Marks & Spencer, dubbed ‘the deal of the decade’. In 2004 Topland formed a JV with Tesco to purchase 33 stores for £650m, selling their 50% stake in Tesco for over £1bn in 2007.

Other deals include a JV with Eroski to buy 15 hypermarkets for £289m in Spain’s largest SLB transaction. In 2008 Topland partnered with Duet Group and SARE to buy 800 acres of land in India to develop into residential property worth £900m.

In 2011 Sol established Topland’s Structured Finance division. The business has become a leading provider of property finance, offering funding solutions... Sol Zakay is a prominent British businessman and founder of Topland Group. A self-made billionaire, Sol has built up a multibillion-pound property empire and established Topland as one of Europe’s largest privately-owned real estate and investment companies.

With a combined wealth of £3.5bn, Sol and his brother Eddie ranked at #52 on The Sunday Times Rich List in 2023.

A pioneer of the sale-leaseback deal, Sol has completed SLB transactions worth over £4bn. In 2001 he secured a £348m leaseback agreement with Marks & Spencer, dubbed ‘the deal of the decade’. In 2004 Topland formed a JV with Tesco to purchase 33 stores for £650m, selling their 50% stake in Tesco for over £1bn in 2007.

Other deals include a JV with Eroski to buy 15 hypermarkets for £289m in Spain’s largest SLB transaction. In 2008 Topland partnered with Duet Group and SARE to buy 800 acres of land in India to develop into residential property worth £900m.

In 2011 Sol established Topland’s Structured Finance division. The business has become a leading provider of property finance, offering funding solutions to developers and investors across the UK and Europe and has amassed a multi-billion pound loan book that is ever-growing and spans across sectors.

Under Sol's leadership, Topland diversified into natural resources, and in 2011 formed a partnership with Barclays to co-invest in 9 BNRIs with a commitment of $660m across a number of sectors including renewables.

The acquisition of the Menzies Hotel Group, Hallmark Hotels & Feathers Hotels from 2013-2015 marked Topland’s expansion into hotels. After combining all 3 under the Hallmark Hotels brand, the group was sold to a group of overseas investors. The company still owns and operates the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath and the Brighton Metropole. Its leased portfolio includes the Hilton Glasgow and 4 Thistle hotels in London.

Sol Zakay is known for his charitable activities and is a patron of Jewish Care. more less

Sol’s Newsfeed

Sol and Eddie Zakay to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at 2024 PROPS

Sol Zakay and his brother Eddie, will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 PROPS Awards.

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Forward funding secured for 1,200-bed PBSA

Sol Zakay, CEO of Topland Group said that following the departure of Barclays Bank from the site it became clear that there was an opportunity to create value by obtaining planning consent for 1,209 student beds.

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Sol’s Background

Topland Group logo Topland Group logo
Topland Group
Chairman & CEO
Jan 1995 - Present
London, UK
Topland Group was founded by brothers Eddie and Sol Zakay and is a privately-owned investment group with a focus on commercial real estate and hotels. Headquartered in London, the company's mission is to invest sustainably, creating social value whilst consistently outperforming market returns at all stages of the economic cycle.
 

Interviews

Business big shot: Sol Zakay logo Business big shot: Sol Zakay logo
Business big shot: Sol Zakay
Interview
Jul 2008
London, UK
In a rare interview, Sol Zakay talked to The Times and gave his view of the commercial property market after the financial crash in 2008.
 

Features

Property Business Leaders: Who is Sol Zakay? logo Property Business Leaders: Who is Sol Zakay? logo
Property Business Leaders: Who is Sol Zakay?
Profile
2022
Property Business Leaders profiles Sol Zakay, founder and CEO of Topland Group.
 

Publications

The longer it stands, the more sustainable it is - so why do we always knock it down? logo The longer it stands, the more sustainable it is - so why do we always knock it down? logo
The longer it stands, the more sustainable it is - so why do we always knock it down?
Author
Jul 2022
In this article, Sol Zakay looks at why sometimes it's better to refurbish an older building than to knock it down and start again, and shares his thoughts on Net Zero and ESG.
 

Awards & Recognition

Sunday Times Rich List logo Sunday Times Rich List logo
Sunday Times Rich List
#52
2023
London, UK
Sol and his brother Eddie are regularly included on The Sunday Times Rich List, ranking at #52 of the top 100 wealthiest people in the UK in 2023.
 
PROPS Awards 2009: Most Promising Newcomer of the Year logo PROPS Awards 2009: Most Promising Newcomer of the Year logo
PROPS Awards 2009: Most Promising Newcomer of the Year
Winner: Topland
2009
 

Charitable Interests

Jewish Care logo Jewish Care logo
Jewish Care
Patron
London, UK
Sol Zakay has worked with Jewish Care for many years, hosting the Jewish Care Business Lunch which in 2023 raised over £400,000 to support the Jewish community in London and the South East.