Tony Ressler

{{Infobox person

| name = Tony Ressler

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|10|12}}

| birth_place = Washington D.C., U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| known_for = {{ubl|Co-founder of Apollo Management and Ares Management|Owner of the Atlanta Hawks}}

| occupation = Investor, sports team owner

| education = Georgetown University (BSFS)
Columbia University (MBA)

| spouse = {{marriage|Jami Gertz|1989}}

| children = 3

| relatives = {{ubl|Debra Black (sister)|Leon Black (brother-in-law)}}

}}

Antony P. Ressler (born October 12, 1960) is an American businessman. He co-founded the private equity firms Apollo Global Management in 1990,{{Cite news| url =http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2ee4055e-b927-11e3-98c5-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3S1B24U6C |title= Ares hopes to raise $500m in IPO|author=Arash Massoudi|publisher=Financial Times |date =April 1, 2014}} and Ares Management in 1997.{{Cite news| url =https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyOfficers?symbol=ARES.K |title=People:Ares Management LP (ARES.K)|publisher=Reuters |access-date = February 18, 2015}} Ressler is also owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team, acquiring them in 2015. He is married to actress Jami Gertz. His net worth was estimated at $11.3 billion in 2024.{{cite web|title=Forbes profile: Antony Ressler |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/antony-ressler/ |work=Forbes |access-date=15 May 2024}}

Biography

Ressler was born in Washington D.C. on October 12, 1960, to a Jewish family,[http://www.jewishjournal.com/arts/article/its_always_gilda_20020426 Jewish Journal: "It's Always Gilda - Actress Jami Gertz wants to do justice to the memory of the late SNL comedienne" By Naomi Pfefferman] April 25, 2002[http://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/jewish-investor-buying-hawks/ Atlanta Jewish Times: "Jewish Investor Buying Hawks" by David R. Cohen] April 29, 2015 one of five children of Dorothy and Ira Ressler.[https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/29/classified/paid-notice-deaths-ressler-ira-richard.html New York Times: "Paid Notice: Deaths RESSLER, IRA RICHARD"] October 29, 2000 His father was an attorney and World War II veteran. Ressler earned a BSFS from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service and an MBA from Columbia Business School.[http://www.aresmgmt.com/Public/TeamMember.aspx?id=395&team=PEUS Ares Management website: "Tony Ressler - Senior Partner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105142751/http://aresmgmt.com/Public/TeamMember.aspx?id=395&team=PEUS |date=2012-11-05 }} retrieved August 20, 2013 After graduating, he worked at Drexel Burnham Lambert, eventually reaching senior vice president in the high yield bond department with responsibility for the new issue/syndicate desk.

In 1990, on the heels of the collapse of Drexel Burnham Lambert, he co-founded the private equity firm Apollo Global Management with Leon Black, Drexel's managing director, head of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group, and co-head of the Corporate Finance Department; John Hannan, Drexel's former co-director of international finance; Craig Cogut, a lawyer who worked with Drexel's high-yield division in Los Angeles; Arthur Bilger, the former head of the Drexel's corporate finance department; and Marc Rowan, Josh Harris and Michael Gross, all of whom worked under Black in the mergers and acquisitions department.[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE0DD173BF937A1575BC0A966958260 Ex-Drexel Executives Arrange Aid for Fruit of the Loom], August 24, 1990[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2DE1139F932A25750C0A96F948260 Changes at Drexel Continue]. New York Times, March 11, 1989[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2DE113AF936A25753C1A96F948260 Drexel's Uncertain Future]. New York Times, October 15, 1989[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5D8143CF934A25751C1A96E948260 Drexel Divided on Settlement]. New York Times, December 17, 1988 In 1997, he co-founded Ares Management with former Apollo Global Management co-worker John H. Kissick and Bennett Rosenthal, who joined the group from the global leveraged finance group at Merrill Lynch.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-apr-22-fi-ares22-story.html Ares Management to Take New Fund Public]. Los Angeles Times, April 22, 2004

Ressler is a member of the executive committee of the board of directors of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; finance chair and member of the executive committee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; a board member of Campbell Hall Episcopal School in Studio City, California; and one of the founding members of the board and finance chair of the Painted Turtle Camp, an organization that takes children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses on camping trips. Ressler is a supporter of military veterans through the work of The Greatest Generations Foundation.

= Sports =

In 2005, he belonged to an investment group led by Mark Attanasio that aquired Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=20050427&id=XLwaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P0UEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6517,5602069 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Two Investors from L.A. in on deal" by Don Walker] April 27, 2005

In June 2015, he led a group that acquired the NBA's Atlanta Hawks basketball team for US$730 million.[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/nba-governors-approve-730-million-hawks-sale-to-ressler-s-group Bloomberg: "NBA Governors Approve $730 Million Hawks Sale to Ressler's Group" By Scott Soshnick and Zeke Faux] June 24, 2015 It was ultimately sold to him for $850 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2015/04/22/atlanta-hawks-sold-to-ares-ressler-for-730-million.html|title=Atlanta Hawks Sold to Ares' Ressler for $850 million, Group Includes Sara Blakely and Grant Hill|publisher=Atlanta Business Chronicle |date=April 24, 2015|access-date=January 27, 2016}}[https://www.wsj.com/articles/atlanta-hawks-selling-for-850-million-1429732095 Atlanta Hawks Selling for $850 Million]. The Wall Street Journal. Ben Cohen. April 22, 2015. accessed February 9, 2016 Minority investors included Grant Hill, Sara Blakely, Jesse Itzler, Steven Price, and Rick Schnall.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12742256/antony-ressler-nearing-850m-deal-buy-atlanta-hawks|title=Hawks to be sold for nearly $850M to Antony Ressler-led group|work=ESPN.com|first=Kevin|last= Arnovitz|date=April 22, 2015|access-date=April 22, 2015}}[http://www.nba.com/hawks/group-led-tony-ressler-completes-purchase-atlanta-hawks/ NBA: "Group Led By Tony Ressler Completes Purchase of Atlanta Hawks"] June 25, 2015 | "Other investors include seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill, who will serve as Vice Chair of the Board, Townsquare Media Chair and CEO Steven Price, Clayton Dubilier & Rice partner Rick Schnall, and Spanx founder Sara Blakely and Marquis Jet co-founder Jesse Itzler, who are married"

Personal life

On June 16, 1989, he married actress Jami Gertz.{{cite web|url=https://gotgravy.com/the-15-most-charitable-celebrities-in-hollywood/|title=The 15 Most Charitable Celebrities in Hollywood|work=gotgravy.com|date=May 2, 2018|access-date=September 9, 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/05/16/hawks-representative-jami-gertz-had-a-great-reason-for-being-at-the-nba-lottery/?noredirect=on|title=Hawks representative Jami Gertz had a great reason for being at the NBA lottery|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 16, 2018|access-date=September 9, 2018}} They live in Los Angeles, and have three sons. Gertz-Ressler High Academy, a member of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, is named after the couple.{{cite web|last=Almendrala|first=Anna|title='A Better Life' Hits Home For Inner-City Students At Movie Screening (VIDEO)|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/15/a-better-life-by-chris-weitz_n_876870.html|publisher=Huffington Post|access-date=15 November 2011|date=15 June 2011}} They are members of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

Ressler's sister, Broadway producer Debra Ressler, is married to Apollo co-founder Leon Black.[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-07/leon-black-loses-swaps-fight-to-carl-icahn-as-apollo-sets-new-credit-terms.html Bloomberg: "Leon Black Loses to Carl Icahn as Apollo Sets New Credit Terms" By Anthony Effinger & Cristina Alesci] July 7, 2010 His brother, Richard Ressler, is a principal and founder of CIM Investment management.[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-ressler-and-richard-ressler Huffington Post: "Tony and Richard Ressler"] retrieved August 20, 2013