Leon Black

Early Life and Education

Leon David Black was born on July 31, 1951. His father, Eli M. Black, was a prominent businessman. Leon earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and history from Dartmouth College in 1973 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1975.

Rise to Success

Black began his career at Peat Marwick (later KPMG) and then worked at Drexel Burnham Lambert from 1977 to 1990, where he became managing director and head of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. In 1990, he co-founded Apollo Global Management with Joshua Harris and Marc Rowan. Apollo focused on distressed assets and grew into a major player in private equity.

Key Business Strategies

Apollo Global Management employed a strategy of identifying and investing in undervalued companies. They focused on buyouts and restructurings of companies in financial distress. The firm's revenue comes from asset management fees and income from private equity and credit instruments.

Philanthropy

Black has been involved in philanthropy through the Debra and Leon Black Family Foundation. He co-founded the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) with his wife, Debra, which has committed over $150 million to melanoma research. In 2020, they co-founded The Foundation for OCD Research (FFOR). He has also supported Dartmouth College.