Tony Ressler
Antony P. Ressler | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 12, 1960 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor |
| Known for | Co-founder of Apollo Global Management and Ares Management; owner of the Atlanta Hawks |
| Spouse | Jami Gertz (m. 1989) |
Antony P. Ressler (born October 12, 1960) is a prominent American entrepreneur and investor. He played a key role in establishing the private equity firms Apollo Global Management in 1990 and Ares Management in 1997. In 2015, Ressler became the owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA team. He is married to actress Jami Gertz, and as of 2024, his net worth was valued at approximately $11.3 billion.
Biography
Ressler was born in Washington D.C. into a Jewish family as one of five siblings, the son of Dorothy and Ira Ressler, an attorney and veteran of World War II. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and later earned an MBA from Columbia Business School. Early in his professional journey, Ressler was employed at Drexel Burnham Lambert, where he advanced to the position of senior vice president within the high-yield bond division.
After the downfall of Drexel Burnham Lambert, Ressler co-founded Apollo Global Management alongside Leon Black, John Hannan, Craig Cogut, Arthur Bilger, Marc Rowan, Josh Harris, and Michael Gross—all former Drexel executives with backgrounds in mergers and acquisitions as well as corporate finance. In 1997, he co-established Ares Management with John H. Kissick and Bennett Rosenthal, drawing upon their combined experience from Apollo and Merrill Lynch’s leveraged finance sector.
Ressler holds a seat on the executive committee of the board at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and occupies leadership positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Campbell Hall Episcopal School located in Studio City, California, and Painted Turtle Camp, which provides support for children facing chronic illnesses. Additionally, he contributes to veteran assistance initiatives through The Greatest Generations Foundation.
Sports
In 2005, Ressler became part of an investment consortium led by Mark Attanasio that acquired ownership of the Milwaukee Brewers, a Major League Baseball franchise.
By June 2015, he spearheaded a consortium that purchased the Atlanta Hawks NBA team for $730 million; the ultimate transaction value rose to $850 million. The ownership group included minority investors such as Grant Hill, Sara Blakely, Jesse Itzler, Steven Price, and Rick Schnall.
Personal life
Ressler married actress Jami Gertz on June 16, 1989. The couple lives in Los Angeles with their three sons. The Gertz-Ressler High Academy, affiliated with Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, bears their namesake. They are active members of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple community.
His sister, Broadway producer Debra Ressler, is married to Apollo co-founder Leon Black. His brother Richard Ressler is a founding principal of CIM Investment Management.
References
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- 1960 births
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century American Jews
- 21st-century American businesspeople
- 21st-century American Jews
- American billionaires
- American chief executives
- American financiers
- American hedge fund managers
- American investment bankers
- American money managers
- American philanthropists
- Apollo Global Management people
- Atlanta Hawks owners
- Columbia Business School alumni
- Drexel Burnham Lambert
- Jewish American baseball people
- Jewish American basketball people
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- Jews from California
- Living people
- Milwaukee Brewers owners
- Private equity and venture capital investors
- Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni