Gillon Property Group has emerged as a new entity overseeing the real estate holdings of Ray Washburne and his wife, Heather Hill Washburne. Heather is a direct descendant of Texas oil tycoon H. L. Hunt, whose acquisition of land in the East Texas Oil Field led to the founding of Hunt Oil Company. The character J. R. Ewing from the television show “Dallas” was inspired by H.L. Hunt’s life.
The Hunt family’s assets include Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, established by Caroline Hunt, and a legacy in professional football through Lamar Hunt’s role in founding the American Football League and his ownership of what became the Kansas City Chiefs. The family’s estimated wealth stands at $25 billion.
Ray Washburne, an alumnus of Southern Methodist University with roots in Chicago—his great-grandfather Hempstead Washburne served as mayor there in the 1890s—is recognized for co-owning Highland Park Village with his wife, her sister Elisa Hill Summers, and Elisa’s husband Stephen. Acquired for $170 million in 2009, Highland Park Village has become a notable Dallas shopping destination and now hosts Park House, a private club modeled after Soho House.
Washburne is involved in several redevelopment projects across Dallas. He participated in the transformation of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center area and purchased the former Dallas Morning News building for $28 million in 2019, initially considering its sale to a data center provider before selling it to the city for over $50 million. Although he no longer owns that property, he acquired the nearby Greyhound bus terminal in 2024; with its closure scheduled for this fall, redevelopment plans are anticipated.
Further north, Washburne has partnered with Trammell Crow Company on Knox & McKinney—a planned 12-story office tower at 4544 McKinney Avenue—aiming to capitalize on luxury development trends in Dallas’ Knox-Henderson neighborhood.
Beyond real estate, Washburne is active politically as a Republican fundraiser and operative. He served as president of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation during President Trump’s first term and played a key role in establishing its successor agency—the International Development Finance Corporation—in 2018, which he led until 2019.
Washburne’s political involvement includes roles ranging from finance chairman for Chris Christie’s presidential campaign to vice chairman of the Trump Victory Committee during the 2016 election cycle. According to Politico, he met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a recent presidential transition to advise on cabinet appointments related to energy policy.
