Marc Rowan

Marc Rowan
Born	Marc Jeffrey Rowan 1962
Nationality	American
Occupation	Investor, business executive
Known for	Co-founder and CEO, Apollo Global Management
Education	University of Pennsylvania (BS, MBA)
Spouse(s)	Carolyn Pleva
Children	4
Website	[Official profile at Apollo Global Management Official site]

Marc Jeffrey Rowan (born 1962) is an American billionaire businessman, investor, and co-founder of Apollo Global Management, one of the world's largest alternative asset management firms. Rowan co-founded Apollo in 1990 alongside Josh Harris and Leon Black, and has served as the firm's chief executive officer (CEO) since 2021. Over the course of more than three decades, Rowan helped build Apollo from a small private equity operation into a diversified global financial institution managing hundreds of billions of dollars in assets. Beyond his work at Apollo, Rowan has become a prominent figure in philanthropy and higher education governance, serving as chair of the Wharton Board of Advisors at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2025 and 2026, he drew further public attention for his involvement in political and policy matters, including an appointment by President Donald Trump to a governing body overseeing the Gaza Strip.

Early Life

Marc Jeffrey Rowan was born in 1962. Details about Rowan's early childhood and family background are limited in publicly available sources. Obituary records indicate that his parents were Robert D. Rowan and Elaine Rowan.

Rowan grew up in the United States and would go on to pursue his undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Pennsylvania, where he attended the Wharton School of Business. His career trajectory would be closely intertwined with the network of financiers and dealmakers who emerged from Wharton during the 1980s, a period in which leveraged buyouts and private equity were reshaping the American financial landscape.

Education

Rowan attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Wharton School of Business. Wharton proved to be a formative experience for Rowan, both professionally and in terms of the relationships he developed there. It was at Wharton that he connected with the network of financiers who would later become central to the founding of Apollo Global Management. In subsequent decades, Rowan maintained a close relationship with his alma mater, ultimately becoming chair of the Wharton Board of Advisors. In 2018, Rowan donated $50 million to the Wharton School to fund professorships, one of the largest gifts in the school's history at that time.

Career

Founding of Apollo Global Management

In 1990, Marc Rowan co-founded Apollo Global Management alongside Leon Black and Josh Harris. The firm was established in the wake of the collapse of Drexel Burnham Lambert, where Black had been a senior figure in the high-yield bond department. Apollo was initially focused on distressed debt and leveraged buyout opportunities, capitalizing on the dislocations in credit markets that followed the savings and loan crisis and the recession of the early 1990s. Rowan played a central role in shaping Apollo's investment strategy and building out its credit and insurance businesses, which would become defining features of the firm's approach to alternative asset management.

Over the next three decades, Apollo grew from a small private equity firm into one of the largest alternative asset managers in the world, with operations spanning private equity, credit, and real assets. The firm's growth was driven in part by its aggressive expansion into credit markets and insurance, areas in which Rowan was particularly instrumental. Apollo's 2009 merger with Athene Holding, a retirement services company, was a landmark transaction that reflected Rowan's vision of integrating insurance and asset management—a strategy that generated significant assets under management and recurring fee income for the firm.

Rise to CEO

For much of Apollo's history, Leon Black served as chairman and CEO, with Rowan and Harris operating as senior partners and co-founders. In February 2021, Apollo announced that Rowan would succeed Black as CEO. The leadership transition came amid scrutiny of Black's past ties to financier Jeffrey Epstein, which had generated significant media coverage and investor concern. Black stepped down from his role as chairman in March 2021, and Rowan formally assumed the CEO position.

As CEO, Rowan oversaw a period of continued growth and strategic transformation at Apollo. Under his leadership, the firm pushed deeper into its strategy of merging private credit, insurance, and traditional asset management. Rowan articulated a vision for Apollo as a firm that could serve not only institutional investors but also individual retirement savers, through vehicles like Athene's annuity products. He also championed the firm's expansion into new geographies and asset classes.

Investment Philosophy and Global Strategy

Rowan has been vocal about his views on global financial markets and investment strategy. In February 2026, in an interview with Bloomberg, Rowan expressed optimism about Japan's economic prospects, stating that there was "a new swagger" in the country after its "three lost decades" of deflation and stagnant equity values. These comments reflected Apollo's broader interest in deploying capital in international markets beyond its traditional base in the United States.

In February 2026, Apollo released a letter to clients and partners outlining the firm's strategic outlook and priorities.

Jeffrey Epstein Controversy

The relationship between Apollo's leadership and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been a recurring source of controversy for the firm. Leon Black's extensive financial ties to Epstein were documented in a 2021 independent review and led to Black's departure as chairman. In February 2026, the Financial Times reported that top Apollo executives, including Rowan, had held "wide-ranging discussions over the firm's tax arrangements" with Epstein. Apollo subsequently issued a statement in response, asserting that "CEO Marc Rowan had neither a business nor personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein." The contrasting accounts between the Financial Times report and Apollo's public statement have drawn continued media attention.

Higher Education Advocacy and Antisemitism Debate

Beginning in late 2023, Rowan became one of the most prominent donors to publicly challenge the response of American universities—particularly his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania—to allegations of antisemitism on campus. Following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Rowan and other major donors criticized Penn's leadership for what they described as an inadequate response to antisemitic incidents and rhetoric at the university.

Rowan's campaign drew national attention when he organized a broader effort among donors and alumni to pressure university administrators. According to The Wall Street Journal, Rowan was described as "the billionaire donor taking on his alma mater over antisemitism." His advocacy contributed to a broader national conversation about the responsibilities of university leadership in addressing hate speech and discrimination. Rowan was also reported to have participated in a fundraiser alongside Ronald Lauder and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, who chaired the House Education Committee and was overseeing congressional hearings on antisemitism at American universities.

In October 2025, The New York Times reported that Rowan had helped develop "the conservative ideas behind the Trump administration's 'compact' for universities," a framework that sought to impose conditions on institutions of higher education related to issues including campus speech, diversity programs, and donor influence. The report described Rowan as a central figure in shaping the policy framework that the administration used to engage with universities on governance and ideological matters.

Political Involvement

Rowan has been a political donor. Forbes reported that he was among the billionaires who donated to Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.

In January 2026, President Donald Trump appointed Rowan to two governing bodies overseeing the Gaza Strip, including what was described as a "Board of Peace." The appointment reflected Rowan's growing involvement in political and policy matters beyond the financial industry. The Daily Pennsylvanian identified Rowan as a 1968 Wharton graduate in its reporting, though this appears to be an error, as Rowan was born in 1962 and his educational background aligns with later graduation dates.

Personal Life

Marc Rowan is married to Carolyn Pleva, and the couple have four children. The Rowans have resided in New York City. In 2013, the New York Observer reported that Rowan purchased a residence at 927 Fifth Avenue for $26 million, describing the apartment as a "brutalist masterpiece."

Rowan has been involved in philanthropic and nonprofit activities. He has been associated with the UJA-Federation of New York, a major Jewish philanthropic organization. He has also served on the board of the Youth Renewal Fund and DARCA, organizations focused on educational initiatives in Israel.

Rowan has spoken publicly about his Jewish identity and its role in his philanthropic commitments, particularly in the context of his advocacy against antisemitism at American universities following the events of October 2023.

Recognition

Rowan's career at Apollo Global Management and his philanthropic activities have brought him considerable public recognition. Forbes has tracked Rowan on its billionaires list, estimating his net worth at $8.8 billion as of November 2024.

His $50 million gift to the Wharton School in 2018 was one of the most significant donations in the school's history and established endowed professorships bearing the Rowan name. As chair of the Wharton Board of Advisors, Rowan has played a governance role at one of the world's premier business schools.

Rowan's public profile expanded significantly beginning in 2023, when his advocacy regarding antisemitism at the University of Pennsylvania placed him at the center of a national debate about donor influence, academic governance, and hate speech on American campuses. His subsequent involvement in the Trump administration's higher education policy framework and his appointment to the Gaza governance bodies further elevated his profile beyond the financial industry.

Media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, the Financial Times, and Forbes have profiled Rowan extensively in connection with his business activities, philanthropy, political engagements, and the Epstein-related controversies surrounding Apollo.