Hip-hop/fashion mogul Russell Simmons; his ex-wife, Kimora Lee Simmons, and her new actor husband, Djimon Hounsou, have been guests at Leder's parties, but did not attend the Romney one.
Leder, who owns Sun Capital, a private-equity firm based in Boca Raton, Fla., went to the Wharton School. In 2011 he joined fellow Wharton grads Joshua Harris and David Blitzer to purchase the Sixers. Harris and Blitzer are co-managing owners with at least 10 other partners, including Will Smith, wife Jada Pinkett Smith and James Lassiter, Smith's longtime producing partner in Overbrook Entertainment, all of whom own much smaller stakes.
A Sixers spokesman said the team had no comment.
A woman who answered the phone at Sun Capital said there was nobody there who could discuss the Romney fundraiser, and a detailed email requesting comment was not answered Tuesday.
Steve Harvey speaks
Steve Harvey is serious about his retirement from comedy.
"I think this is really it for me. What else can I accomplish?" asked Harvey, who is now hosting a daytime talk show (2 p.m., NBC).
"Once you stop doing comedy, it's hard to go back. There's a certain muscle you have to have when it comes to doing standup," Harvey says.
He's exercising his talk muscle from Chicago where "the audience is more acclimated to daytime talk," having hosted Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Springer for so many years.
So how long does Harvey, who is trying to constantly evolve his career, want to stay hosting the show? "Eight years would be nice. Then I may look at it and do 10. I'll be 65 then," Harvey tells us.
Join us for Fringe's Fibber
Philadelphia Improv Theater presents four lineups of its popular Fibber show this week during the 2012 Philly Fringe Festival. Comedian/storyteller Hillary Rea hosts the shows, in which four people tell stories, one of which is fiction, and the audience has to decide which storyteller has made it all up.
The concept may sound familiar to fans of "The Howard Stern Show," who may know it as the Mike Walker Game. For years, National Enquirer columnist Mike Walker called in to Stern's radio show and told four celebrity stories, one of which was fake.
The Fibber shows take place at the Adrienne Theater (2030 Sansom) at 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.
On Friday night, Your Humble Narrator will be one of the storytellers along with "Project Runway" winner Jay McCarroll, Pizza Brain (2313 Frankford) co-owner Brian Dwyer, and Geekadelphia.com's Eric Smith. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at livearts-fringe. ticketleap.com/fibber.
Golf outing aids Magee
Flyers legend Bernie Parent and Phillies public-affairs director Scott Palmer will tee off at Green Valley Country Club while former Eagle John Spagnola hits the links at the ACE Club on Friday during the 23rd annual Jerry Segal Golf Classic to benefit Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. Both clubs are in Lafayette Hill.
You can register through Wednesday by calling Ron Siggs at 215-587-3216. For info, visit SegalClassic.com.
Rittenhouse Row fashions
The Rittenhouse Row Fall Gathering, from 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the Comcast Center, is one of the final events in the Philadelphia Collection, a two-week celebration of Philadelphia's fashion scene.
Close to 20 Rittenhouse Row bars and restaurants will participate in a cocktail contest and 15 retailers will feature clothing in a fashion show. Comcast Center merchants including Di Bruno Bros., Godiva, Mexican Post, Percy Street BBQ, and Termini Bros. will offer hors d'oeuvres.
Tickets are $25 online at rittrowfallgathering.ticketleap.
com until noon Thursday or $30 at the door that evening.
Contact Dan Gross at grossd@phillynews.com or 215-854-5963. Follow him on Twitter @PhillyGossip or at Facebook.com/dangrossphillygossip. Read his blog at PhillyGossip.com, or for his latest columns see philly.com/dangross.
