John Kenneth Dunn, Co-Founder Of $1.6B Real Estate Investment Firm, Dies In Plane Crash

John Kenneth Dunn, co-founder of the $1.6-billion real estate investment firm Rainier Companies, was killed in an airplane crash on July 26.

What Happened: According to a New York Post report, the 62-year-old Dunn was traveling with three friends on a Bombardier CL 600 jet flying from Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, to Truckee, California, near Lake Tahoe, when the airplane crashed while the pilot was attempting to land at the local airport.

There were no survivors from the crash, which is now under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Business Leader: Dunn was born on Sept. 15, 1958 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and received a bachelor of business administration from Louisiana State University and MBA from the University of Arkansas.

Dunn began his career in banking in 1982 as a commercial loan officer with First National Bank in New Orleans and BancTexas in Dallas with experience in middle market, real estate and oil and gas lending. From 1989 to 1993, he was executive vice president of The Hampton Real Estate Group, responsible for asset management of a portfolio with a market value in excess of $1 billion.

Dunn co-founded the Dallas-based Rainier Capital Management with Tim Nichols in 2003, focusing on the commercial real estate sector. According to the company’s website, Rainier has closed in excess of $2.5 billion of investment assets and has an operating portfolio valued at more than $1.6 billion.

“The Rainier family is deeply saddened by the loss of its co-founder, partner and friend,” said Rainier President and CEO Danny Lovell. “Our most heartfelt sympathies go to Ken’s family during this unbelievably difficult time. He will be terribly missed.”