Sam Zell is one of the biggest names in the real estate markets and an early leader in REITS in the United States. Now, he's launching a SPAC to target the industrial sector. The Leadership Team: Equity Distribution Acquisition Corp will be led by Sam Zell, the founder of Equity Group Investments. Zell has a track record of 50 years founding companies, leading turnarounds, leading industry consolidations, and taking companies public. Zell has sponsored 11 IPOs. Zell is widely recognized as a founding father of the REIT, according to the filing. In the 1990s, Zell created three of the largest REITs.