Peter Morton
As co-founder of the Hard Rock Cafe, Peter Morton spent more than two decades dedicated to the brand’s growth in the restaurant and hospitality industries, amassing a number of notable accomplishments in the process. After establishing the first Hard Rock Cafe in 1971, Morton and co-founder Isaac Tigrett built the restaurant into one of the most popular destinations for locals and tourists alike, eager both to sample its trademark American fare and appreciate its unique dining atmosphere. Synonymous with cool, Hard Rock Cafe soon found its way back to the United States and, under the leadership of Morton and Tigrett, began its natural expansion into domestic and foreign markets. Today, Hard Rock Cafe numbers nearly 200 locations in more than 50 countries. Ready for a new challenge, Peter Morton sold his interest in the restaurants in 1996 for $410 million, though he remained owner of the then-new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Over the next 10 years, Morton positioned the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino as an immensely popular Las Vegas destination, known for its music venue The Joint and the Rehab pool party. Selling the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in 2006, Peter Morton maintains involvement with the restaurant and hospitality business as he owns and operates the famed Los Angeles power-dining spot, Morton’s. A philanthropist as well, Morton has made significant donations in recent years to such organizations as Young Eisner Scholars, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the UCLA Medical Plaza, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
Peter Morton
