Fernando De Leon, Founder and CEO of Leon Capital Group, to Receive Prestigious 2025 Horatio Alger Award

He joins distinguished Texans such as T. Boone Pickens, Roger Staubach and Ross Perot who have overcome adversity to achieve professional and personal success

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization that honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have overcome adversity and supports promising young people to pursue their American Dream through higher education and technical scholarships, today announced that Fernando De Leon, founder and CEO of Leon Capital Group, has been selected for membership in this prestigious organization. Mr. De Leon joins 11 other exceptional corporate, civic and cultural leaders from across the country in receiving 2025 honors. For the last 78 years, the Horatio Alger Award has been annually bestowed upon esteemed individuals who have succeeded despite facing significant challenges, and who have remained committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their communities and beyond. 

"From an early age, I recognized the superior operating system that America entails, a governing system that allows upward social mobility unlike any other system in the history of humanity. I straddled two countries, two operating systems, and got a front row seat comparing two countries, on a daily basis. There is simply no other country that unlocks human potential the way our country does," said Mr. De Leon. "The Horatio Alger Association exalts the American Dream as the bedrock of our innovation, productive output, and our deserved economic prosperity—I am honored to be an emissary for this message and hope that I can passionately communicate the vastness of opportunity that exists in this country, to Americans of all walks of life."

Born in Brownsville, Texas Mr. De Leon was the only one of six siblings to benefit from both American citizenship and education. Throughout his childhood, he concurrently attended school in south Texas and northern Mexico, while honing skills in mathematics and language. At 12, he lost his father, which caused his family to grapple with financial instability. Mr. De Leon realized he had a unique opportunity to help improve his family's circumstances. He became an English-Spanish translator in his hometown, where he connected with real estate developers and investors looking to build manufacturing plants under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). By the time he was 16, Mr. De Leon had secured ownership in various development projects that he helped facilitate, in lieu of payment for his translation services. Throughout his teenage years, he focused on managing real estate development projects and, later, with the help of multiple scholarships, Mr. De Leon graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 2001.

Mr. De Leon began his career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs but was always focused on the path to building direct asset ownership. He left a stable career path, raised capital and worked to resolve complex distressed investments. In 2006, he founded Leon Capital Group, a holding company that today oversees twelve operating subsidiaries in the financial services, healthcare, real estate, and technology industries. Initially founded as a modest real estate development firm, Leon Capital Group has evolved into a diverse holding company successfully operating across multiple industries and multiple geographies. Today, Leon's subsidiaries have made over 800 investments and employ ~4,000 employees.

Mr. De Leon and his family give generously to many causes, primarily those centered on reducing poverty and expanding access to education and healthcare. Mr. De Leon is the co-founder of the De Leon Family Foundation, which focuses on education and economic improvement in southern Texas and northern Mexico. The Foundation's De Leon Scholars Program Foundation offers annual scholarships to students throughout Texas who are dedicated to improving their communities.

"Fernando's life experiences embody the values the Horatio Alger Association holds dear," said Craig Hall, chairman and founder, Hall Group and 2007 Horatio Alger Award recipient. "From his humble beginnings in a difficult environment to building a career as a real estate investment mogul, he used education as a springboard to pursue his American Dream. With his pioneering spirit, I have no doubt that he will be a tremendous role model for our Scholars."

The Horatio Alger Association was established in 1947 and today is dedicated to promoting and ensuring the American Dream for future generations. Through its Members, the Association aims to teach young people about the limitless possibilities available through the American free-enterprise system. Since 1984, the Association has awarded annual need-based scholarships to high school students who have overcome significant obstacles and showcase a commitment to continuing their education and making a unique contribution to society. The scholarships are possible because of the generosity of Association Members, who have collectively provided more than $265 million to 37,000 students over the past 40 years.

Mr. De Leon and the Member Class of 2025 will be formally inducted into the Association during the 78^th Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. from April 3-5, 2025. The annual three-day event honors the achievements of both Members and National Scholars, who will have the unique opportunity to meet, interact and exchange stories of perseverance throughout the multi-day celebration.

For more information about Horatio Alger Association and its Member Class of 2025, please visit www.horatioalger.org and follow the organization on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X.

About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans: 
Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have accomplished remarkable successes in spite of adversity by bestowing upon them the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members. Horatio Alger Members support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education. Through the generosity of its Members and friends, in 2025, the Association has budgeted to award more than $17.4 million in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships to students across the United States and Canada, and continues to provide comprehensive academic, personal, and professional support services to its Scholars. Over the past 40 years, more than $265 million has been awarded in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran and career and technical education scholarships to more than 37,000 deserving students. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org. 

CONTACT:
McKenna Young
[email protected]
Horatio Alger Association

Christopher Buscombe
[email protected]
CJHB Corp

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.