Early Life and Education
Marc Jeffrey Rowan was born in 1962 and raised on Long Island, New York. He later moved to Hollywood, Florida, where he attended high school. His father worked in auto-leasing, and his mother was a teacher and concert pianist. Rowan's grandfather, Emanuel Stein, was an economics professor at New York University. He pursued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude from the Wharton School with a B.S. and an MBA. He faced financial constraints after his father's death, but the university allowed him to complete his studies.
Rise to Success
Rowan began his career at Drexel Burnham Lambert's mergers and acquisitions department. In 1990, he co-founded Apollo Global Management with Leon Black and Josh Harris, former colleagues from Drexel Burnham Lambert. After the collapse of Drexel Burnham Lambert, Rowan, Black, and Harris launched Apollo Global Management. Rowan became the CEO of Apollo Global Management in July 2021, succeeding Leon Black. Under his leadership, Apollo Global Management went public in 2011. He has overseen Apollo's growth, with the firm managing over $785 billion in assets as of 2025.
Key Business Strategies
Rowan is known for his strategic focus on Apollo's expansion in credit, private equity, and real estate. He has been instrumental in crafting Apollo's credit business, which makes up a substantial portion of its assets under management. His approach has been described as measured and strategic, driving the firm's growth and expansion. Rowan led Apollo's $11 billion all-stock merger with Athene Holding, which has significantly boosted the company's assets under management.
Philanthropy
Marc Rowan is an active philanthropist. He is the Chair of the Board of UJA-Federation of New York, the world's largest local philanthropy, helping 4.5 million people annually. He is also a founding member and Chair of the Youth Renewal Fund and Vice Chair of Darca, Israel's top educational network. Rowan is also involved in public policy and has contributed significantly to the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also serves as Chair of the Board of Advisors.
