Early Life
Marc Jeffrey Rowan was born on August 19, 1962, and raised in Long Island, New York. He 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 attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude from the Wharton School with both a B.S. and an MBA.
Rise to Success
Rowan's career began at Drexel Burnham Lambert in the mergers and acquisitions department. In 1990, after the collapse of Drexel Burnham Lambert, he co-founded Apollo Global Management with Leon Black and Josh Harris. Apollo initially focused on distressed debt and leveraged buyouts. Under Rowan's leadership, Apollo has expanded its operations and became a publicly traded company in 2011.
Key Business Strategies
Apollo Global Management employs a rigorous, contrarian approach to create investment opportunities across various market cycles. The firm focuses on private equity, credit, and real assets. Under Rowan's direction, Apollo has expanded its role beyond private equity into private credit lending.
Philanthropy
Rowan is actively involved in philanthropy. He serves as Chair of the UJA-Federation of New York, a founding member and Chair of the Youth Renewal Fund, and Vice Chair of Darca, an Israeli educational network. In 2018, he donated $50 million to the Wharton School.
