Alec Gores

Alec E. Gores (born 1953) is an American billionaire businessman, who made his fortune through leveraged buyouts of technology firms at the firm Gores Group.

Alec Gores was born in 1953 in Nazareth from a Catholic family, the son of a Greek father and a Lebanese mother. He was raised in Flint, Michigan, and attended Genesee High School in Genesee, Michigan. He then obtained a degree in computer science from Western Michigan University. He is the brother of Tom Gores, founder of Platinum Equity, and Sam Gores, the head of Paradigm Talent Agency.

In 1978, he founded Executive Business Systems with $10,000, selling computers out of his basement. By 1986 the company employed over 200 people and was acquired by CONTEL for approximately $2 million.

Following the acquisition, Gores began acquiring and operating non-core businesses from major corporations. He eventually founded The Gores Group, a private equity firm in 1987 and since then has acquired 80 companies over 25 years.

Gores and his brother Tom have been involved in a number of deals together including the 2011 acquisition of Alliance Entertainment, which distributes DVDs, CDs and video games to stores such as Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and Target.

As of 2009 Gores remains a practicing Catholic.

Gores has five children: Rochelle Gores Fredston, Eric Gores, Lauren Gores Ireland, Alexa Gores, and Gavin Gores. He is married to Kelly Noonan Gores. He has a former wife, Lisa.

In November 2012, he lost $17.4 million to gambler JP McManus in one backgammon session.