William E. Conway Jr.

William E. Conway Jr.
Born	William E. Conway Jr. (1949-08-27) August 27, 1949 Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist
Years active	1971–present
Known for	Co-founder and Co-Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group

William E. "Bill" Conway Jr. (born August 27, 1949) is a prominent American billionaire entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He serves as Co-Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of The Carlyle Group, a leading global investment firm. Additionally, Conway holds the position of Chair of the Board of Trustees at Johns Hopkins Medicine and is a member of the Board of Trustees at the Catholic University of America. As of April 2022, Forbes valued his net worth at approximately US$3.6 billion.

Early life and education

Conway obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in 1971. He pursued an MBA with a concentration in Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, completing it in 1974 while attending evening classes and simultaneously working at First National Bank of Chicago.

Career

Conway launched his professional journey in corporate finance, commercial lending, workout loans, and general management during nearly ten years at First National Bank of Chicago. Between 1981 and 1986, he occupied various financial positions at MCI Communications, advancing to senior vice president and chief financial officer by 1984. In 1987, together with David Rubenstein and Daniel A. D'Aniello, he co-established The Carlyle Group. Since then, the firm has expanded into a global investment leader managing $293 billion in assets with a workforce exceeding 1,800 employees across 31 offices spanning six continents.

Conway has also served as chairman for the boards of Nextel Communications and United Defense Industries. As reported in April 2022, his estimated net worth stands at $3.6 billion, placing him as the 809th wealthiest individual worldwide.

He was slated to deliver remarks at the November 2022 Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit. This invitation sparked controversy from the Hong Kong Democracy Council and certain members of the United States Congress, who contended that participation by American financial leaders would endorse the Hong Kong administration’s curtailment of freedoms following the enactment of the 2020 national security law.

Political activities

Conway’s son, also named Bill Conway, sought election in the 2020 Democratic primary for Cook County State's Attorney but was defeated by incumbent Kim Foxx. The elder Conway personally invested $10.5 million into his son's campaign efforts.

Personal life

In 1999, Conway acquired Merrywood, known as Jackie Kennedy’s childhood residence, for $15.5 million; he sold it less than a year later to Steve Case, former CEO of AOL, for $24.5 million. He was previously married and has one son, Bill Conway, from that marriage. Conway currently resides in McLean, Virginia.

Following a $20 million donation from Conway and his wife, the nursing school at the Catholic University of America was named the Conway School of Nursing. Joanne Barkett Conway passed away on January 8, 2024, at age 75 after a brief illness.

Philanthropy

Together with his wife Joanne, Conway has made significant contributions to institutions focused on education and healthcare. Their landmark $20 million donation to the Catholic University of America led to the founding of the Conway School of Nursing in 2019. Since 2012, Conway has committed over $55 million to support educational initiatives at the Latin American Youth Center.

Additional substantial gifts have been directed to Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the University of Virginia School of Nursing, Trinity Washington University, and Georgetown University’s School of Nursing. Their philanthropic efforts primarily emphasize enhancing nursing education and fostering youth development in strategic regions.

Publications

• The Reasons Behind Our Commitment to America, The Wall Street Journal (November 19, 2012)