From the Midwest to the Big Apple.
Identical twins. Former Division I wrestlers at Ohio State. Derek and Daniel Koch came to New York to study filmmaking and built two decades in hospitality and real estate instead.
New York City
Two Ohio State wrestlers leave Columbus for Manhattan. They enroll in film at NYU. They start at the bottom of the city’s restaurant scene.
Le Charlot, Le Bilboquet
Le Bilboquet and Le Charlot on the Upper East Side, under Philippe Delgrange. Marketing directors at In The Buzz for Pink Elephant and Cain. Opened Pacha in December 2005.
Jour et Nuit
Their first restaurant-club, steps from The Plaza. A 5,000 sq ft underground space turned French American destination. Run front to back by the brothers.
Dual Groupe, Day & Night
Founded Dual Groupe with Michael Wainstein. Merkato 55, Cipriani Downtown, The Plaza’s Oak Room and Buddha Bar for five straight years. Then the Hamptons, St. Barth’s, Art Basel, St. Tropez, Cannes and Sundance.
MPD, TOY, Château
MPD with Ginza Project earned a Michelin recommendation with a DJ booth in the dining room. TOY at Hotel Gansevoort with China Grill Management. Château Cherbuliez, fine dining inside the former legendary nightclub, Limelight. DAY & NIGHT goes to Stefano Forever, St. Tropez.
Playing with Fire, E!, Dubai
Co-produced E!’s Playing with Fire, airing after the Kardashians. Featured The Chainsmokers early. Consulted in Dubai with Pragma-White Label, then creative directors of Space Ibiza New York.
Douglas Elliman, Compass
Joined Douglas Elliman and the Ariel Cohen team. Nine figures closed in three years. Derek wins REBNY Deal of the Year in 2018. At Compass, Daniel joins Toni Haber’s team and Derek joins Mark von der Burg’s team in Seattle.
Koch Penn Advisors, Koch Capital
Joined eXp Realty and founded Koch Penn Advisors in 2021, focused on healthcare real estate. Derek joins Polaris Pacific in Seattle. Koch Capital founded in September 2022 for real estate investment and venture capital.
1789 Capital, NOBU
Daniel is eXp Realty’s 2025 top producer by volume, $140M+ in commercial healthcare. Through Koch Seattle, Derek leads sales at NOBU Residences Bellevue with Polaris Pacific. Limited partners in 1789 Capital. SPVs in Vulcan Elements, Reflection AI, Databricks and Polymarket. An NBA investment through the Blue Owl HomeCourt Fund with Tropion Sports Partners.
DAY x NIGHT Hotels x Resorts x Residences
For years they followed the season to the Riviera. Now they’re bringing it home. DAY x NIGHT Hotels x Resorts x Residences is developing a resort concept for Palm Beach: a beach club, nightlife and signature dining inside a five-star oceanfront resort, open all winter, the half of the year Europe goes quiet.
“The people make the places, and Palm Beach is where those people spend their winters. It’s time the place caught up...” — Daniel Koch
Off the clock
Derek and Daniel are fathers, husbands and IRONMAN triathletes, each with four World Championship appearances.