Tony Ressler

Tony Ressler co-founded Ares Management in 1997 after working at Drexel Burnham Lambert under Michael Milken and later co-founding Apollo Global Management with Leon Black. Ares focused from the start on credit — particularly leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, and direct lending — rather than traditional equity buyouts. This credit specialization positioned Ares to benefit enormously from the growth of the private credit market as banks retreated from middle-market lending following the financial crisis. Ares grew to become one of the world's largest alternative asset managers, with over $400 billion in assets across credit, private equity, and real assets. The firm went public in 2014. Ressler is also known for owning the Atlanta Hawks NBA franchise. His Drexel and Apollo background gave him deep expertise in complex credit structures and distressed situations.