Lesley Bamberger

Bamberger was born on 3 June 1965 in Amsterdam. He is the grandson of real estate developer Jacob "Jaap" Kroonenberg (1921–1996). Kroonenberg, who was Jewish, survived the Holocaust by jumping from a deportation train with his sister, though his parents and six of his ten siblings were killed in Nazi concentration camps. Kroonenberg initially built a business in textile trading and manufacturing on Weesperzijde before shifting focus to real estate investments in Amsterdam during the 1960s.

Bamberger attended a boarding school in Switzerland and began his career at age 17 as a salesperson at The Society Shop on Koningsplein in Amsterdam. After completing internships at international real estate firms, he joined Kroonenberg Groep as a commercial associate in 1986.

Following his grandfather's death in 1996, Bamberger inherited Kroonenberg Groep and assumed management of the company. Under his leadership, the firm modernized its commercial holdings, executed long-term redevelopment projects, and expanded its portfolio across retail, industrial, and residential sectors in the Netherlands and the United States. A prominent project under his direction was the multi-year redevelopment of "The Bank" on Rembrandtplein, which also housed the Ajax Experience Center from 2010 to 2013.

By 2026, Kroonenberg Groep's property portfolio was valued at over €3 billion. Bamberger's personal net worth was estimated at €2.1 billion by Quote magazine, placing him 21st on the Quote 500 list of wealthiest Dutch citizens.

In 2021, Bamberger bought out his cousin Gordon F.'s 18.5% equity stake in Kroonenberg Groep for €270 million, effectively severing all financial ties between the family enterprise and his cousin following the latter's involvement in criminal offences.

Bamberger resides in Amsterdam. His daughter is in a relationship with Dutch international footballer Steven Berghuis, who plays for AFC Ajax.

In civic life, Bamberger co-donated 5,500 solar panels valued at €4 million alongside ING to mark Amsterdam's 750th anniversary in 2025, assisting in the sustainability of public buildings. He is also involved with FC Centrum, an initiative aimed at revitalizing Amsterdam's city centre.