Early Life and Education
Lawrence E. Golub grew up in New York City, where his parents came from poor immigrant families. He attended Harvard College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude. Golub's interest in science during high school led him to study DNA technology before he later switched his major to business. He then pursued a joint JD-MBA program at Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, earning both degrees. He also founded the Harvard University JD-MBA Alumni Association and was selected as a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School and as an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Rise to Success
Golub began his career at Allen & Company Incorporated, where he engaged in private equity, leveraged finance, and mergers and acquisitions. He then became a Managing Director at Wasserstein Perella, where he established the firm's capital markets group and debt restructuring practice. In 1994, Golub founded Golub Capital, a credit asset management company, and currently serves as its CEO. The firm initially started as a buyout firm but shifted its strategy to lending after the dot-com bust of 2000. Under his leadership, Golub Capital has grown significantly, becoming a major player in financing middle-market private equity deals. The firm has over $85 billion in capital under management as of October 1, 2025.
Key Business Strategies
Golub Capital focuses on delivering financing solutions to companies backed by private equity sponsors. The firm specializes in middle-market lending, late-stage lending, and broadly syndicated loans. Golub has emphasized a disciplined, conservative approach to portfolio construction, prioritizing resiliency. Golub Capital has built a strong reputation by focusing on direct lending, which provides private equity-like returns at a lower risk. Golub stresses the importance of serving as a “finance company” and providing solutions for private equity sponsors, leading to a 90% repeat business rate.
Philanthropy
Golub is actively involved in philanthropy, supporting medical research for Parkinson's disease. He established the Sharon and Leon Golub Fund for Parkinson's Disease at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He has also supported various other organizations, including the American Repertory Theater and hospitals in New York and Boston.
