Chris Haver
| Chris Haver | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Christopher Sterling Haver |
| Education | BS in Finance, San Diego State University |
| Residence | Phoenix, AZ |
| Occupation | Private Equity, Investor |
Christopher Sterling Haver (February 6, 1966 – 14 March 2023)[1] was an American entrepreneur, international businessman, and adventure traveler.
Early life[edit]
Chris Haver was born on February 6, 1966, to Joyce Ann (Watkins) Haver and Ralph Burgess Haver II, in Phoenix, Arizona. Haver is the grandson of architect Ralph Burgess Haver.[2]
Haver was an adventurous child from an early age. At the age of two years, he tried to scale a 50-foot flagpole at a playground near his home. As he grew up, he took a significant interest in sports and went on to become an accomplished skier.[3] Haver attended Brophy College Preparatory, a prestigious all-boys college preparatory in Phoenix, and graduated in 1984. He attended the San Diego State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1990.
Seven Summits[edit]
While attending SDSU, Haver decided that he wanted to climb and ski the Seven Summits, the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents, before he was 30 years old.[4] He first climbed Mount Everest in 1989 at the age of 23 with the International Goodwill Expedition. While on the expedition, he met Mike McDowell, a founding partner of Quark Expeditions and other adventure travel enterprises. He would go on to become one of Haver’s business associates and a close friend.
After returning from the Everest trip, Haver broke both of his ankles while jumping off an 80-foot cliff at Tonto Natural Bridge outside of Payson, Arizona.[4] He was aiming for a deep pond, but missed and landed on a rock ledge. After sustaining two compound fractures, Haver required multiple surgeries and 2 ½ years of physical therapy.[3]
Haver resumed his quest for the Seven Summits in 1993 by climbing and skiing Mount McKinley in North America. In early 1994, he summited Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro. Later that year, he conquered Mount Elbrus in European Russia, Australia's Mount Kosciuszko, and Antarctica's Mount Vinson Massif where he sustained frostbite on one of his big toes. He finished the quest in January 1996 in Argentina on Aconcagua approximately two weeks shy of his 30th birthday, becoming the first American to accomplish the feat.[3]
Trip to Titanic[edit]
In 1998, Haver planned to join an expedition to the shipwreck of the RMS Titanic with Deep Ocean Exploration. When RMS Titanic heard of the trip, the company obtained a court order that banned Haver and any other party from visiting the site. In 1999, Haver joined Deep Ocean Expeditions and other parties in a suit against RMST for salvager and possession rights. While Haver and the others lost in Federal Court, the case moved onto the 4th Circuit Appellate Court where the judge ruled in their favor.
The decision was appealed once again. When the case was presented to the US Supreme Court, the decision from the Appellate Court stood. If the case had gone to trial, Chief Justice Sandra Day O’Connor would have had to recuse herself due to her friendship with Haver. After the case, Haver joined DOE on an expedition to the shipwreck with Mike McDowell and a pilot, where they had lunch on the bow of the ship. In all, they spent 11 hours diving and photographing the site.
Throughout the course of litigating and diving the Titanic, Haver became friends with film director and documentarian James Cameron. Haver went on to found Deep Ocean One (DOO) with Mike McDowell, a company that aimed to bring the benefits of deep-sea exploration to the public. In 2007, DOO worked with Cameron’s documentary film company to televise and host a live feed with Cameron and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Chris hosted the event in Phoenix while Cameron was on a support ship positioned directly above the Titanic.
Gregorio Fuentes[edit]
Haver met Gregorio Fuentes, considered by some to be the influence for Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” with a few of his business associates in Cohimar, Cuba in 1995. After the group traded stories for a few hours, Haver and Fuentes formed a quick friendship. Haver made it a point to see Fuentes and his grandson any time he was in Cuba until his last visit (in 1999) before Fuentes’s death in 2002. Famed radio personality Paul Harvey did a segment on his show, “The Rest of the Story” which chronicled Chris and his friends finding and meeting Gregorio.
Career[edit]
1992 and 1995 America’s Cup[edit]
Before graduating from college in 1990 Haver began working with Knight and Carver Yachtcenter in San Diego, CA developing facilities for the 1992 America's Cup Sailboat Races,[5] a company that owned a marina in Mission Bay of San Diego.[6] In 1991, Haver formed the Mission Bay Organizing Committee (MBOC) to develop facilities for the 1992 and 1995 America's Cup sailing races in San Diego.[7]
Because none of the international America's Cup teams were responding to Haver, he snuck into the Challenger of Record Dinner hosted by Louis Vuitton at the San Diego Yacht Club to meet the teams face to face. After mingling during the cocktail hour, he sat with the Japanese team because it was the only open seat at the reception dinner. After meeting the team's PR director, Emily Miura, he realized she was the daughter of Yuichiro Miura. The two of them had initially corresponded while Haver was preparing to climb Everest. Yuirchiro was the first person to ski Mt Everest and became the first person to climb and ski the Seven Summits. [3]
The Japanese America's Cup team became the first team to join up with Haver at Knight & Carver. Ultimately, Haver housed six of the nine teams turning Mission Bay into the epicenter of the 1992 and 1995 America's Cup Races. Haver's clients included the countries of France, Japan, Sweden, two teams from Australia, Spain, and U.S. defender. Haver was responsible for the complete design-build, construction, maintenance, management and ultimately restoration of all American's related activities in Mission Bay from 1990-1995. [5]
1995 to 2023[edit]
In 1995 Haver expanded his private equity group to include investments in software, technology, finance and real estate both in the United States and abroad. Since the mid-90s he was a founding partner and/or principal in 16 companies.
Real Estate Development[edit]
Haver has developed real estate, both residential and commercial, in the US and abroad under a number of different banners.[12]
- Haver Homes
- HHDC (Haver Homes Development Corporation)
- Developed land in British Columbia, Canada and Eastern Europe
- Haver Williams (Currently holds real estate assets in the US.)
Business Ventures[edit]
- Haver Williams
- Haver Homes
- H&W Energy Solutions, LLC
- Meridian Working Capital
- Sun Arms
- Ezbets.com
- Past Business Ventures
- Dynamic Campaign, LLC[16]
- CDK Group
- Cool Water Springs
- HHDC
- Pet Assure
- CDK Group, LLC
Private Relief Efforts[edit]
Haver coordinated one of the largest private humanitarian relief effort during the Russian recession of the early 1990s. In the end, the group delivered nearly 70 tons of food and medicine via an Antonov An-225 airplane. The group provided valuable supplies and resources to the people of Moscow.[8]
References[edit]
- ↑ Scott, Michael (15 April 2023). "Chris Haver, Arizona Businessperson has died". SNBC13.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Morrison, Karen G. (4 April 2011). "Remodeled Haver home goes industrial-chic". AZ Central. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Tharp, Mike (January 1996). "One skier's seven-summit quest". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 2014-03-13. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wagner, Dennis (2 February 1996). "Valley daredevil tops 7 continents". Arizona Republic.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lloyd, Barbara (15 December 1991). "BOATING; San Diego Is Too Hot for the Russians". New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
- ↑ KIM Q. BERKSHIRE; RICH ROBERTS (21 January 1992). "AMERICA'S CUP UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Challengers Will Use One Course". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
- ↑ BERKSHIRE, KIM Q. (19 January 1992). "Russian Bid Appears Doomed : Sailing: Merger talks involving two syndicates falter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
- ↑ "PLANE THAT CARRIED AMERICA'S CUP YACHT WILL BRING SUPPLIES TO RUSSIA WITH AM-SOVIET-STASH". Associated Press. 28 December 1991. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
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