Ed Kobel is a Pittsburgh native and the son of Edward DeBartolo Sr., former owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Francisco 49ers.
Never knowing his father and raised by a single mother in a blue collar Pittsburgh neighborhood,Ed wanted to support his mother. He started as a paperboy and later joined the U.S. Army. He was offered a position in the counter-intelligence division. Ed declared “ I had a very cool undercover job as a student traveling in Eastern Europe”.
After being discharged from the Army Ed became a promising real estate investor, finding success, then debt. Choosing not to file for bankruptcy, it took Ed and his wife five years to work their way out of debt.
Ed had an opportunity to invest in a company that provided technology to the NFL. He then reached out to his brother Eddie DeBartolo Jr. for advice. Prior to this Eddie did not know Ed existed. Being united they created a partnership. Mr. Kobel is now the President and COO of DeBartolo Development, LLC, a nationwide real estate development company.