After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1990, Dichter founded Alphabet City Sports Records with friend Jesse Itzler.[3] The label focused on creating and selling songs that were frequently heard in sports stadiums and arenas.[4][5] The firm was eventually sold to SFX Entertainment in 1998 for $4.3 million in cash and stock.
Dichter founded Marquis Jet in 2001, the first fractional card jet program. By 2007, the firm was turning over more than $700 million per year from its 3,500 customers.[6] In November 2010, Dichter sold Marquis Jet[7] to NetJets, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.[8]
Tequila Avión, a brand of tequila, was founded by Dichter and Ken Austin.[9] The brand was named the 'Best Tequila in the World' and 'Best White Spirit in the World' at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.[10] The company was acquired by Pernod Ricard for $100 million.[11]
A few years after the sale of Marquis Jet, Dichter re-entered the private aviation industry by founding Wheels Up. Rather than a fractional card program, Wheels Up is a membership-based business that charges users per flight hour without spending requirements or time commitments.[12][13] In July 2021, Wheels Up became the first private-aviation company to publicly trade on the New York Stock Exchange.[14]
Dichter stepped down as CEO in May 2023[15] with a Securities and Exchange Commission Form 8-K showing that he will continue to receive his $950,000 annual salary for two years and that he will remain a director on the company board, among other pay and benefits on departure.[16] Prior to an August 2023 $500 million funding round by Delta Air Lines for Wheels Up, Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian noted that “Kenny Dichter has done a masterful job over the last decade building a high-quality brand, great experience, a lot of new members.”[17]
In 2024, Dichter launched REAL SLX, a global sports and lifestyle membership club focused on hospitality and access to sports, entertainment, and cultural events. The platform offers curated, invitation-based experiences for its members. REAL SLX forms part of Dichter’s broader work in developing lifestyle-oriented ventures centred on events and experiential access.launched REAL SLX, a global sports and lifestyle experience club offering high-touch hospitality and insider access to sports, entertainment and cultural events.[18]
In 2025, Dichter expanded the REAL SLX platform with the launch of REAL JET, a boutique private aviation brokerage designed to simplify travel through seamless, on-demand access to premium aircraft. The company operates without membership fees or long-term contracts, offering what Dichter calls a “frictionless experience” for private flyers. “We’re connecting travelers to the right aircraft, the right operators, and the right people,” he told Aviation Week.[19] Targeting both first-time private flyers and small to midsize businesses, REAL JET positions itself as a modern alternative to traditional jet card programs—bringing Dichter full circle in a category he helped reimagine over the past two decades.[20][21][18]