Josh Harris

Josh Harris
Born	Joshua J. Harris
Nationality	American
Occupation	Private equity executive, sports team owner
Employer	26North Partners
Known for	Co-founding Apollo Global Management, ownership of the Washington Commanders, co-ownership of the Philadelphia 76ers

Joshua J. Harris is an American billionaire businessman, private equity executive, and sports team owner. He is best known as a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, one of the largest alternative asset management firms in the world, and as the owner of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Harris is also a co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) through his role as a founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE). After departing Apollo Global Management, Harris established 26North Partners, a private investment firm through which he has continued to be active in the financial industry. His career in finance has spanned several decades and placed him among the most prominent figures in the private equity sector, while his expanding portfolio of professional sports franchises has made him a significant figure in American sports ownership. Harris has also drawn public scrutiny over his business relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a connection that resurfaced in early 2026 following the release of millions of documents by the United States Department of Justice.

Career

Apollo Global Management

Josh Harris co-founded Apollo Global Management, which grew into one of the world's largest alternative investment firms, managing hundreds of billions of dollars in assets across private equity, credit, and real estate. Harris served as a senior managing director at the firm for decades, playing a central role in shaping its investment strategy and organizational growth. Apollo became known for its aggressive approach to leveraged buyouts, distressed debt investing, and corporate restructurings, establishing itself as a major force on Wall Street and in global finance.

Harris eventually departed from Apollo Global Management, a transition that marked the end of an era at the firm he helped build. His departure set the stage for the launch of his own investment platform.

26North Partners

Following his departure from Apollo, Harris founded 26North Partners, a private investment firm. Under the 26North banner, Harris has continued to be an active and outspoken participant in the financial industry. In early 2026, Harris publicly commented on emerging trends in the private markets space, particularly the growing push by financial firms to sell private market investment products to retail and everyday investors.

Speaking at an industry event, Harris cautioned that the rush to offer private market investments to retail savers carries significant risks. He warned that mixing unaccredited investor capital with wealth capital through vehicles with differing levels of regulation could create what he described as a "recipe for problems." According to a report by Reuters, Harris stated that the recent rush to sell private markets investments to everyday savers "will not end well" and could have negative consequences for other investors as well. His remarks were interpreted as a warning against the rapid democratization of private equity and alternative investments without adequate regulatory safeguards, suggesting that the industry could face a backlash if retail investors experience significant losses in products they may not fully understand.

Harris's comments positioned him as a cautious voice within the private equity community at a time when many of his peers and competitors were actively seeking to tap into the large pool of retail investor capital. The statements received significant coverage in financial media, reflecting Harris's continued influence and standing within the alternative investment industry even after his departure from Apollo.

Sports Ownership

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment

Harris became a prominent figure in professional sports ownership through the creation of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), a partnership with fellow businessman David Blitzer. Through HBSE, Harris acquired ownership stakes in multiple major professional sports franchises, including the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Harris has served as the managing partner of the 76ers, overseeing the team's operations and strategic direction.

His role as the 76ers' managing partner has placed Harris in the public eye in the Philadelphia sports market, where the team's performance and front office decisions have regularly attracted media and fan attention. HBSE expanded beyond basketball and hockey to encompass a broader portfolio of sports and entertainment assets, with Harris at its helm.

Washington Commanders

In one of the highest-profile transactions in American sports history, Harris led a group that acquired the Washington Commanders of the NFL. The purchase made Harris the controlling owner of one of the NFL's most storied franchises, adding a marquee football team to his growing sports empire. The acquisition of the Commanders came after the franchise had undergone years of controversy under its previous ownership, and Harris's purchase was widely covered as the opening of a new chapter for the organization.

As the owner of the Commanders, Harris assumed responsibility for the team's on-field competitiveness, its business operations, and its relationship with fans in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The purchase of the Commanders further solidified Harris's position as one of the most prominent sports owners in the United States, with major holdings across three of the four largest North American professional sports leagues.

Controversies

Jeffrey Epstein Connection

Harris's name has appeared in documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a connection that has drawn recurring public attention. In late January 2026, the United States Department of Justice released approximately three million documents related to Epstein, and Harris's name was found in a number of them.

According to reporting by The Philadelphia Inquirer, the newly released files revealed years of email exchanges between Harris and Epstein, indicating an ongoing business relationship that included numerous phone calls and at least one in-person meeting. The Inquirer report detailed the extent of the communications between the two men, drawing attention to the nature and duration of their contacts.

Following the release of the documents, Harris issued a public statement. Yahoo Sports reported that the Sixers managing partner and HBSE founder released the statement after his name resurfaced in the newly opened Epstein files. The sports and investigative journalism outlet TrueHoop also covered the revelations, characterizing Harris as "a sports billionaire in the Epstein files" and examining the content of the email exchanges between Harris and Epstein.

The revelations prompted significant media coverage across sports, financial, and general news outlets. Liberty Ballers, a publication covering the Philadelphia 76ers, noted that the DOJ had opened up three million documents to the public and that Harris was found in some of them. The coverage renewed public scrutiny of Harris's past associations and raised questions among fans and commentators about the nature of his relationship with Epstein.

Harris has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. His public statement addressed the matter but the full details of his response and the context of his communications with Epstein have been the subject of ongoing media analysis and public discussion.

Personal Life

Josh Harris maintains residences in the United States and is known primarily through his public roles in finance and sports ownership. Details of his personal life, including his family, have been reported in various media profiles over the years, though Harris has generally maintained a degree of privacy regarding matters outside his professional activities.

His ownership of the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Commanders has made him a public figure in the sports communities of Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., where his decisions as an owner are subject to regular public and media commentary.

Legacy

Josh Harris's career has encompassed central roles in both the financial industry and American professional sports. As a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, he helped build one of the largest and most influential alternative asset management firms in the world, shaping the development of the modern private equity industry. His subsequent founding of 26North Partners and his public commentary on trends in private markets, including his warnings about the risks of selling private market investments to retail investors, have continued to position him as a significant voice in finance.

In the sports world, Harris's acquisition of the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils, and the Washington Commanders has made him one of the most prominent multi-sport franchise owners in North America. His purchase of the Commanders, in particular, represented one of the largest transactions in the history of professional sports and placed him at the helm of a franchise with deep cultural significance in the nation's capital.

Harris's public profile has also been shaped by controversy, most notably the ongoing scrutiny of his past business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which has been the subject of extensive media coverage following the release of Department of Justice documents in 2026. The intersection of his financial prominence, his high-profile sports ownership, and the Epstein-related revelations has ensured that Harris remains a closely watched figure in both the business and sports worlds.