Fail Forward: Ari Rastegar on Lessons That Built an Empire in Austin

from The Mello Millionaire with Tommy Mello

by Mello Studios

Published: Fri Oct 03 2025

Show Notes

Ari Rastegar is the founder and CEO of Rastegar Property Company, a $10 billion real estate empire that’s reshaping skylines across the U.S. But his journey didn’t start in boardrooms—it started behind the grill at Johnny Rockets, flipping burgers and dreaming bigger. From those humble beginnings, Ari built his way into the world of high-stakes real estate, earning the nickname “The Oracle of Austin” for his early bets on the city’s meteoric growth. Known for his bold, contrarian strategies and unshakable belief in learning from failure, he’s turned setbacks into stepping stones and vision into value. Ari has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Bloomberg, and is recognized as one of the most innovative minds in real estate today. His mission? To show that with grit, resilience, and a willingness to fail forward, you can turn even the smallest start into a billion-dollar legacy.

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The Journey of Failure and Success

Building a Billion-Dollar Portfolio

The Importance of Relationships in Real Estate

The Role of Money and Time