Lee Najjar, the Atlanta real estate magnate who captivated television fans as Kim Zolciak’s infamous, off-camera benefactor “Big Poppa” on early seasons of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, has died at the age of 68. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner confirmed his passing occurred on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
The news began circulating widely between April 21 and 22 after his daughter, Katelin Najjar, shared emotional tributes online. While the exact cause of death has not been released to the public, official records from the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner verified his passing and his enduring legacy as Zolciak’s mysterious financial backer.
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their four children: Katelin, Jeremy, Jared, and Jamen. Taking to Instagram, Katelin posted a photograph of a handwritten card from her father, telling her followers, “I loved when he wrote me cards, he knew it meant everything to me.”
Najjar became a massive part of reality television lore during the inaugural seasons of RHOA in 2008 and 2009. He never showed his face on camera, but his massive financial footprint fueled one of the genre’s earliest defining mysteries. From bankrolling Zolciak’s townhouse to purchasing her a luxury Range Rover, his unseen presence set the blueprint for the “mystery benefactor” trope across modern entertainment franchises.
Away from the Bravo cameras, Najjar was a highly successful commercial and residential real estate investor. His property acquisitions in the Atlanta metropolitan area built an estimated net worth of $50 million, anchored by his $25 million mansion in Buckhead. Zolciak and Najjar’s relationship ended publicly around 2009. At the time of their split, Zolciak noted that he would “always be the love of my life.” Following the breakup, Najjar retreated from the public eye to focus entirely on his real estate empire.