Rudin was the son of Lithuanian Jewish immigrant Louis Rudinsky, who operated a dry goods store on the Lower East Side.[2] His father made his first real estate purchase in 1905 when he bought a four-story brownstone on 153 East 54th Street.[2] He commanded his sons to never sell the property and to try and purchase all the buildings surrounding it.[3] Samuel Rudin followed his father's edict, and he, along with his brothers, Edward, Henry, and Nathan, purchased most of the surrounding buildings.[4] They continued to add buildings to their portfolio, and in 1925, they founded the Rudin Management Company to handle the management and leasing side of the business.[3] In the 1950s and 1960s, the Rudin family was one of the most prolific builders of skyscrapers in Manhattan.[5] In 1975, his sons Jack and Lewis took over the company.[6] In 1990, fifteen years after his death, the Rudin Management portfolio was valued at $1.5 billion.[7]
In 1923, he married May Cohen.[7] They had two children, Jack and Lewis, who took over the family business.[7] Rudin died in 1975.[7] His will established the Samuel and May Rudin Foundation,[7] which focuses on education, social and religious welfare agencies, hospitals, museums, and the performing arts, primarily in Manhattan, where most of the Rudin portfolio was located.[7]
Rudin was an avid long-distance runner,[8] and his family continues to be a major sponsor of the New York City marathon.[9]
