Marc Rowan
Marc Jeffrey Rowan is an American billionaire businessman who is the chief executive officer of Apollo Global Management. He co-founded the firm in 1990, with Josh Harris and Leon Black, and has been its CEO since 2021., Forbes estimated his net worth at $8.8 billion.
Early life and education
Rowan was born in 1962. He was raised on Long Island, New York. He moved with his family to Hollywood, Florida, where he attended high school, traveling between New York. 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. Many of his wider family worked as public interest lawyers. Rowan is Jewish.Rowan studied at the University of Pennsylvania. When his father died 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 M.B.A. from the Wharton School. He graduated as the class valedictorian.
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 asset management firm Apollo Global Management with former Drexel colleagues Leon Black and Josh Harris.In July 2020, Rowan took a "semi-sabbatical" from Apollo, but remained involved in strategy and on boards, until taking over as CEO in March 2021.
Philanthropy
Rowan is chair of the UJA-Federation of New York. He is a founding member and chair of the Youth Renewal Fund and is vice chair of Darca Schools.University of Pennsylvania
Rowan has had various involvements with the University of Pennsylvania since his graduation. He is chair of the board of advisors of the Wharton School of Business. In October 2018, he donated $50 million to the Wharton School, to fund leading academics and with a focus on the Penn Wharton Budget Model.As a result of the 2023 Palestine Writes conference held at University of Pennsylvania, Rowan attempted to organize a boycott of donors and signed a letter urging a response to alleged antisemitism at the festival. In December 2023, Rowan led a group of University of Pennsylvania donors in calling for the removal of university president Liz Magill and board of trustees chair Scott Bok, citing concerns about the university’s response to antisemitism following the Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023. After the resignation, Rowan penned a letter suggesting various campus reforms. Some professors at the university criticized the suggested reforms, arguing they would negatively affect intellectual freedom on campus.
Politics
Together with his spouse, Rowan contributed $1million to Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign. In December 2023, Rowan hosted a fundraiser for Republican politician and House Education Committee Chair Virginia Foxx.In November 2024, following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Rowan was interviewed for the U.S. Treasury Secretary nomination by President Trump. Shares of Apollo fell on the announcement, according to Barrons, as Rowan owns 6% of outstanding Apollo stock and could be required to divest if nominated and confirmed.
Rowan claimed to have "played a part in the initial formulation" of the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.
In January 2026, Rowan was appointed by Trump to be part of the Gaza Peace Board entitled to oversee the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip during the peace process aimed at putting an end to the Israel-Hamas war