Lee “Big Poppa” Najjar, the real estate investor known as the mysterious benefactor of The Real Housewives of Atlantadied at the age of 68.
His death was confirmed on Tuesday by his daughter, Katelin, who shared a touching tribute on her Instagram Story with a video of the couple dancing in a car.
Although the businessman’s precise cause of death has not yet been made public, he leaves behind his wife, Kimberly, and their four children, Katelin, Jeremy, Jared and Jamen.
Najjar became a central figure in reality television history during the first season of RHOA in 2008, although his face was never shown on screen at the time.
Kim Zolciak, one of the show’s original stars, has kept his identity a secret, referring to him only by the nickname “Big Poppa”.
He was well known to viewers as the man who bankrolled Zolciak’s extravagant lifestyle, providing the financial backing for her luxury cars and designer wardrobe as they navigated a complicated, on-again, off-again romance.
Their relationship was the subject of much debate among the Atlanta Housewives, particularly because Najjar was still legally married to his wife while dating Zolciak, even though the reality star maintained that they were separated.
Before the season 1 reunion, Zolciak revealed that they had been engaged and described him as a wonderful person who was wonderful to his daughters.
She admitted at the time that she was crazy about him and that he remained an important part of her daily life, even as they struggled to move their relationship forward.
The couple eventually split for good in 2009 after Zolciak called him the love of his life, but admitted it was time to move on.
She then married Kroy Biermann in 2011, a relationship which ended in a highly publicized separation in 2023.
Despite the years that have passed since his time in the Bravo spotlight, Najjar remains a legendary figure to longtime fans of the franchise.
His daughter’s tribute, set to music Dancing in the skymarks a quiet end for a man whose presence once loomed so large in the world of reality TV.
