Location Beverly Hills, California, United States Regions Greater Los Angeles Area, West Coast, Western US Gender Male Also Known As James Khuri
Website jameskhuri.co/ Facebook View on Facebook LinkedIn View on LinkedIn Twitter View on Twitter
James Khuri is an American businessman, social media influencer, and wildly successful entrepreneur who has been developing successful, innovative businesses and business models for more than 20 years. His groundbreaking work in restructuring e-commerce platforms has propelled him into the spotlight in recent years as he works tirelessly to builda
better e-commerce business model that has a more consumer-friendly global impact. A businessman from Los Angeles, Khuri’s estimated net worth exceeds $80 million. He is the CEO of nine firms that center on a variety of industries from retail shops to real estate to e-commerce platforms to manufacturing goods and distribution. His strong drive to not only achieve personal success but also make the world a better place, sets him apart from so many garden variety businessmen who are more focused on building their empires than helping build a world that is more inclusive and nurturing for all.
And that is what sets James Khuri apart.
The Early Years
Born in December 1977 in Rochester, New York, Khuri developed a love for trading cards as a young boy. Little did he know that his passion would propel a business that would become a major part of his success as a businessman.
Early on, Khuri exhibited a natural inclination toward business and commerce. After high school, he attended the University of Rochester where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. At age 21 Khuri enrolled in the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business where he earned his MBA. This provided the foundation he needed to forge his success in business while nourishing his entrepreneurial spirit. The fire spread quickly.
At the age of 32, James Khuri made the move from New York to California where he currently resides in the Los Angeles area.
In 2001, he launched a very successful, highly profitable real estate career. Today, Khuri operates under Khuri Enterprises and owns a number of properties including apartment buildings in the Los Angeles area as well as medical buildings in New York. But he didn’t stop there.
Early in his manufacturing and distribution ventures he was cold calling brick and mortar retailers – and getting nowhere. It took years for him to make meaningful connections with the right retailers on that platform. Eventually, he moved to e-commerce and his business took off. He began researching updated and new fulfillment methods and quickly made lasting connections that propelled him to success.
Business Ventures
As a child, James Khuri loved trading cards. As an adult, he was able to turn that passion into an entrepreneurial venture by creating FJ Holdings, a major global distributor of trading cards and related merchandise as well as Hasbro and Mattel products, reaching more than 136 countries. As the CEO, Khuri currently oversees the mass distribution of top brands including Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic the Gathering, and other sports trading cards for Amazon. He also works closely with brick and mortar giants including Walmart as well as other online platforms such as Mercari, and eBay.
These associations have led to several exciting projects including “Fulfilled by Walmart,” which is the company’s move to a massive online e-commerce venture. It is specifically designed to position Walmart as a direct competitor to Amazon and is similar to “Fulfilled by Amazon.” The intent is that it levels the playing field by giving consumers more options and a better atmosphere by creating healthy competition between the two e-commerce giants.
On the other side of the e-commerce landscape, James Khuri has helped Amazon develop a new distribution model that is touted as being unique to the entire system of worldwide distribution. Currently, Amazon has only worked with 10 suppliers across the globe in a similar capacity. Khuri will work in conjunction with Amazon to further this project which is helping the government establish a worldwide online platform.
Vision for a Changing World
James Khuri has repeatedly shown that in order to be successful you have to grow with a changing world. He has demonstrated this again and again. The recent COVID-19 pandemic is no different. He recognized a shift in how the world shops and conducts business as consumer behavior turned increasingly more to the internet and digital devices. This led to his projection that office buildings, shopping centers, and malls would eventually become obsolete – and it would happen sooner rather than later.
He also recognized an increased need for refrigerated warehouse space as large e-commerce companies and supermarkets are increasingly requiring more storage. The shopping habits of consumers have been turning more to online, but the pandemic escalated that change to a dramatic shift in 2020. That is a trend he has said he does not see reversing.
Personal Business Practices
Part of James Khuri’s massive success has been due to his smart business decisions. One of his most notable business practices is that he does not borrow from banks to support his businesses. He believes that banks use lending to control businesses. This is in direct opposition to his father’s advice, “Never show weakness. Control everything” which he has taken to heart.
As a result, he has self-financed five of his companies and has no intention of changing that trend for future companies.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
In a recent Forbes article, James Khuri gave some sage advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. He advises researching and analyzing current trends in order to achieve a better position as a leader within the chosen industry.
He also attributes his ability to continue growing his businesses to focusing on the expansion of his brands. He may have started with selling products from Mattel and Hasbro, but he has expanded that to also sell makeup, health, and tattoo products. This has given him an edge to grow his revenue in a much shorter time than he would have had he focused on expanding outside of his brands.
Smart business strategies are the hallmark of the American dream and James Khuri embodies that. Dream on.