Gotham Organization, an owner, developer, operator and investment manager, has been led by the Picket family since 1912. The transfer of leadership consistently takes place within the family. The New York City-based company was founded by Nathan Picket, the great-grandfather of current CEO David Picket. According to David Picket, the company philosophy can be summarised by the mantra “Do good to do well”. He emphasised that this was a principle they lived by, as they were not after short-term gains but long-term success. David Picket highlighted that their 114-year company history was about taking a long-term perspective, dealing fairly with lenders and partners, and treating tenants with respect.
The fifth generation of the Picket family, consisting of David Picket's three children – Matthew Picket (35), Nicole Picket (32), and Ben Picket (30) – are actively involved in the family business. Matthew and Nicole recently took on additional leadership positions. Ben Picket is currently completing an MBA programme at Columbia University, while all three siblings obtained their Bachelor’s degrees from Cornell University. They were raised with the principle that education and intellect are valuable tools, and they bring this conviction to their work at Gotham.
Matthew Picket is a Principal at Gotham, concentrating on advancing the company's development pipeline and expanding into new markets such as South Florida. Nicole Picket, also a Principal, is responsible for the refinancing, recapitalisation, and divestment of existing Gotham assets, and identifies new acquisition opportunities for portfolio growth in the multifamily segment. She played a crucial role in the acquisition of the luxurious rental property The Aire in a $265 million joint venture with The Carlyle Group in 2024.
Ben Picket, currently Director of Strategic Operations at Gotham, focuses on technology initiatives across the portfolio, including the integration of artificial intelligence and data infrastructure to enhance the tenant experience. Gotham's portfolio includes multifamily, mixed-use, and retail properties in New York and has now expanded to Florida. A particular emphasis is placed on multifamily homes, especially projects with public-private partnerships that promote affordable housing and mixed-income developments.
Gotham currently manages 3,700 units and has an additional 6,000 apartments in various stages of pre-development, construction, or leasing, representing a total development volume of approximately $5 billion. David Picket expressed his pride in his children's passion and commitment to the family business. He emphasised that he would have proudly supported them even if they had pursued other paths, as all three are exceptionally capable and intelligent.
Matthew Picket joined Gotham nine years ago, having previously worked at Bank of America and in real estate investment management at Norges Bank Investment Management. He viewed these experiences as necessary preparation for his role in the family business. Nicole Picket began her career in private equity, spending six years there, the first two years at Morgan Stanley, followed by positions at Northwood Investors and Affinius, before joining Gotham approximately three and a half years ago. She benefited from the mentorship of her father and Brian Kelly, the company's head of development.
Ben Picket's career path was less straightforward. He studied biology, psychology, and food science at Cornell University with a keen interest in gastronomy and the scientific aspects of nutritional psychology. He started in the hospitality industry and considered how he could transfer this knowledge to startups and technology before taking on his current role at Gotham.
