If you were glued to your television screen back in 2008 when The Real Housewives of Atlanta first premiered on Bravo, you remember the smoke and mirrors. You remember the wigs. You remember the white Range Rover. But mostly, you remember the name "Big Poppa." He was the invisible force behind Kim Zolciak’s lavish lifestyle, a sugar daddy archetype before the term became a TikTok trend.
He paid for the $100,000 cars. He funded the burgeoning (and questionable) country music career. He was the voice on the other end of the phone that Kim would coo to while Shereé Whitfield and NeNe Leakes rolled their eyes in the background. But Bravo cameras never showed his face. For years, fans obsessed over one question: who is Big Poppa in Housewives of Atlanta?
The answer isn't a mystery anymore, but the story of how he managed to stay hidden—and why his identity was such a scandal—is a wild trip down reality TV memory lane.
Lee Najjar: The Man Behind the Moniker
The man known as Big Poppa is actually Lee Najjar, a wealthy real estate developer based in Atlanta.
At the time RHOA started, Lee was a massive player in the Atlanta property scene. He lived a life of extreme opulence that made the "Housewives" look like they were living on a budget. We’re talking about a guy who lived in a $25 million mansion in Buckhead that was so massive and ornate it was often used as a filming location for movies.
Kim didn't just pull the name "Big Poppa" out of thin air. It was a nickname rooted in his status as her primary financial provider. During those early seasons, Kim’s entire storyline revolved around her waiting for Big Poppa to leave his wife and marry her. That was the hook. That was the drama.
It's kinda wild looking back at it now. Kim would be sitting in her townhome, sipping Chardonnay through a straw so she wouldn't ruin her lipstick, talking about how much she loved this man who was technically very much married to someone else.
The Scandal of the Secret Identity
Why couldn't he be on camera? Simple. He was married.
💡 You might also like: How to Watch The Wolf and the Lion Without Getting Lost in the Wild
Lee Najjar’s wife, Kim Najjar, was reportedly aware of some of his antics but stayed out of the spotlight. Because Lee was a prominent businessman with a reputation to uphold (and a legal marriage to protect), he couldn't exactly show up at a Bravo "All White Party" or get into a shouting match at a reunion.
The "mystery" was a production necessity.
The legalities of filming in Georgia and the personal privacy of a man with a family meant that "Big Poppa" had to remain a disembodied voice. Occasionally, you’d see the back of a head or a hand, but never the full picture. This created a vacuum of information that fans filled with speculation. Was he a mobster? A billionaire? A figment of Kim’s imagination?
The truth was more mundane but no less messy: he was a rich guy with a side-piece and a lot of disposable income.
How the Secret Finally Leaked
You can’t keep a secret that big in a city like Atlanta, especially when you’re driving around in high-profile vehicles and frequenting the most expensive restaurants in the city.
The "Who is Big Poppa" bubble burst pretty quickly once internet sleuths got involved. It didn't take long for photos of Lee Najjar to surface. While Bravo tried to maintain the "mystery man" edit for the sake of the narrative, the blogs—specifically sites like MediaTakeOut and Straight From The A—were already posting his name and photos of his actual house.
The irony? Even as the world found out he was Lee Najjar, Kim continued to call him Big Poppa on the show. It became a brand.
📖 Related: Is Lincoln Lawyer Coming Back? Mickey Haller's Next Move Explained
The Money, The Cars, and The Cigarettes
Kim’s lifestyle in Season 1 and 2 was a fever dream of conspicuous consumption. She famously claimed she spent $1,000 a day on her hair. She bought a new wig for every mood. She had a personal assistant, Sweetie, whose main job seemed to be keeping Kim’s glass full and her cigarettes lit.
All of this was funded by Lee.
People often forget how much money was actually changing hands. It wasn't just a few handbags. We are talking about a multi-year arrangement where a man supported a woman and her two daughters in exchange for companionship. It was the precursor to the "Sugar Baby" culture we see today, but played out on national television with a heavy dose of Southern camp.
The tension on the show came from the fact that the other women—NeNe especially—found it hypocritical. NeNe would go on late-night talk shows and famously shout, "Close your legs to married men!" That line wasn't just a random insult; it was a direct shot at the fact that everyone knew Big Poppa was a married real estate mogul.
Where is Big Poppa Now?
Life moved on, as it always does. Kim Zolciak eventually met Kroy Biermann, a defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons, during a charity event (the famous "tight ass" scene from Season 3).
Once Kroy entered the picture, Big Poppa was relegated to the history books. Kim traded the mystery man for a younger, athletic husband and eventually a spin-off show, Don't Be Tardy.
As for Lee Najjar, his life took some turns. After the height of the RHOA fame, he faced various legal and financial hurdles. In 2012, he was arrested for failing to maintain a property he owned. There were reports of financial struggles following the real estate market shifts. He largely retreated from the public eye, likely tired of being the punchline of a reality TV joke.
👉 See also: Tim Dillon: I'm Your Mother Explained (Simply)
The $25 million mansion? It went on and off the market for years, eventually selling for significantly less than its original asking price. It was a literal house of cards.
Why the "Big Poppa" Era Still Matters
The reason we still ask who is Big Poppa in Housewives of Atlanta is because that era represented the "Wild West" of reality television.
Back then, things felt less scripted. The stakes felt real. You had a woman essentially admitting to being a kept woman on a show that was supposed to be about "Housewives." It challenged the very definition of the word.
It also set the blueprint for how future reality stars would handle secret boyfriends. From "The Prince" on Real Housewives of New York to various "secret men" on Love & Hip Hop, the Big Poppa trope became a staple of the genre.
Actionable Insights for Reality TV Fans
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the lore of early RHOA, here are a few things to keep in mind to separate fact from production magic:
- Watch the background details. In Season 1, Kim’s house is actually quite modest compared to the "Big Poppa" hype. Most of the wealth she flaunted was in the form of liquid assets—clothes, jewelry, and cars—rather than real estate she actually owned.
- Check the timeline. Kim met Kroy in May 2010. Her "breakup" with Big Poppa was messy and played out over the phone during the transition between Season 2 and Season 3.
- Understand the "Sugar" dynamic. Lee Najjar wasn't just a boyfriend; he was a benefactor. In the world of Atlanta high society at the time, these types of arrangements were "open secrets" that rarely made it to television.
The story of Big Poppa is a time capsule of 2008 excess. It reminds us that before reality TV was a polished machine, it was a messy, loud, and often confusing look into the lives of people who were trying to buy their way into a certain status. Kim Zolciak-Biermann may have moved on to a life of "tardy for the party" and eventual legal separations from Kroy, but for the O.G. fans, she will always be the woman in the wig, holding a cigarette, waiting for a call from Lee Najjar.