Quick Facts
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Biography
Marc Jeffrey Rowan (born August 19, 1962) is an American billionaire private equity investor. He co-founded Apollo Global Management in 1990 with Josh Harris and Leon Black and took over as CEO in 2021.
Early life and education
Rowan was born in 1962. He is Jewish. He was raised in Long Island, New York. He moved with his family to Hollywood, Florida where he attended high school. His father worked in auto-leasing. His mother Barbara was a teacher and a trained concert pianist. He has one sister, Andrea. His grandfather, Emanuel Stein, was an economics professor at New York University.
Rowan studied at the University of Pennsylvania. When his father passed away and the family could not afford to pay tuition, the university allowed Rowan to complete his studies and pay whenever he was able. Rowan graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Career
Rowan joined the mergers and acquisitions department of Drexel Burnham Lambert where he worked in New York City and Los Angeles. The firm collapsed in 1990.
In 1990, Rowan co-founded the private equity firm Apollo Global Management with former Drexel colleagues Leon Black and Josh Harris. He was promoted as CEO in July 2021 after Black stepped down from the role after it was discovered he had paid convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein $158 million for advice on tax and estate planning between 2012 and 2017.
Personal life
Rowan is married to Carolyn Pleva and lives in New York City. Rowan is Chair of the Board of UJA-Federation of New York. He is a founding member and Chair of the Youth Renewal Fund and is Vice Chair of Darca.
Rowan is on the board of trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and the board of advisors of the Wharton School. In October 2018, he donated $50 million to the Wharton School. In December 2023, Rowan led a campaign among University of Pennsylvania donors to have University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill fired over what he saw as the university's insufficient response to anti-semitism. That same month, Rowan hosted a fundraiser for right-wing politician Virginia Foxx.