Hassan Nemazee was born in 1950 in Washington D.C. He attended Harvard College, graduating with honors in 1972. He moved to Iran, forging joint ventures with many prestigious American and British companies.

In 1978, during the Islamist Revolution, he was forced to leave the country. The new regime confiscated the Nemazee family’s assets, homes, businesses, and charities. Returning to the United States, he rebuilt his life. His new businesses flourished, and he welcomed three children.

In 1998 the Clinton White House announced its nomination of Nemazee as U.S. Ambassador to Argentina.

He became a top supporter and fundraiser for prominent Democrats, including President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. He served as the National Finance Chair for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, during which time the Democrats regained control of the Senate for the first time in over a decade. He also served as the National Finance Chair for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, and played a significant role in fundraising for Joe Biden.

His life took a turn when the “tech bubble” impacted his diverse range of businesses. Juggling increasing responsibilities in his family, business, political, and philanthropic endeavors, he made choices which led to his arrest in 2009 on charges of bank fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s office identified Citibank, Bank of America, and HSBC as the victims of his crimes.

At the age of 60, Hassan Nemazee pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released in 2019, after serving nine years.

Today Hassan and his wife Nazie reside in Miami, Florida. They are committed to supporting efforts to preserve and protect democracy around the world, criminal justice reform in America, promoting political involvement by members of the Iranian-American community, and providing medical assistance to mortally ill children.