The Titans: Who Is Leading Private Equity Today

Steve Schwarzman Billionaire

Co-founder and Chairman, Blackstone

Net worth: ~$90B (Forbes, Aug 2026 estimate)

Steve Schwarzman co-founded Blackstone in 1995 with James Silverstein and Peter Peterson and has served as its Chairman ever since. Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager, with more than $1.3 trillion in assets under management across priv

Ken Griffin Billionaire

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Citadel

Net worth: ~$11B (Forbes, Aug 2026 estimate)

Ken Griffin founded Citadel in 1990 and has led it as CEO since. Citadel is one of the world's largest hedge funds, with roughly $60 billion of client assets under management, and in 2022 it completed a merger with its long-only investment arm, Citadel Advisor

David Tepper Billionaire

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Appaloza Management

Net worth: ~$24B (Forbes, Aug 2026 estimate)

David Tepper founded Appaloza Management in 1993 in New York and has served as its CEO since. The firm manages roughly $50 billion in assets and is best known for its distressed-debt and special-situations investing, with a track record of some of the largest

Michael Klein Billionaire

Co-founder and Managing Director, KKR

Net worth: ~$6.9B (Bloomberg Billionaires Index, 2026 estimate)

Michael Klein co-founded KKR in 1976 and is the firm's longest-tenured operating leader; he has served as Managing Director and, since 2022, as Co-Chairman of the Board alongside co-founder George Roberts. KKR is one of the largest alternative asset managers i

Harold Hamm Billionaire

Founder and Chairman, Continental Resources (listed in the core list as H.I.G. Capital)

Net worth: ~$20.1B (Forbes, Aug 2026 estimate)

Harold Hamm is an American energy executive best known as the founder and chairman of Continental Resources, one of the largest oil and natural gas companies in the United States. He was a pioneer of hydraulic fracturing in the Bakken shale and has built one o

David Rubenstein Billionaire

Co-founder and Co-Chairman of the Board, The Carlyle Group

Net worth: ~$4.1B (Forbes, May 2026 estimate)

David Rubenstein co-founded The Carlyle Group in 1987 and has served as its Co-Chairman of the Board since. Carlyle is a global investment firm with more than $290 billion in assets under management across private equity, credit, real assets, and wealth. Ruben

Leon Black Billionaire

Co-founder, Apollo Global Management

Net worth: ~$13.8B (Bloomberg Billionaires Index, 2026 estimate)

Leon Black co-founded Apollo Global Management in 1990, originally as a credit-focused investment firm that has grown into one of the largest alternative asset managers in the world. He served as CEO until 2018 and remains a major shareholder and an influentia

David Zander

Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Silver Lake

David Zander co-founded Silver Lake in 1999 with Michael Moritz and has served as Chairman of the Board since. Silver Lake is a global technology-focused private equity firm with more than $100 billio

Jeff Smith

Co-founder and Managing Partner, Vista Equity Partners

Jeff Smith is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Vista Equity Partners, one of the world's largest software-focused private equity firms. Vista, founded in 2000 and led by Robert F. Smith, manages o

Jim Penrod

Co-founder and Managing Partner, Vista Equity Partners

Jim Penrod is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Vista Equity Partners, one of the world's largest software-focused private equity firms. He has been with Vista since its founding in 2000 and is one

Chris Huizenga

Co-founder and Managing Partner, Thoma Bravo

Chris Huizenga co-founded Thoma Bravo in 2002 and has been one of its principal operating partners since. Thoma Bravo is one of the world's largest software-focused private equity firms, managing more

Stephen Scherr

Co-founder and Managing Partner, Thoma Bravo

Stephen Scherr co-founded Thoma Bravo in 2002 and has served as a Managing Partner since. Thoma Bravo is one of the world's largest software-focused private equity firms, managing more than $170 billi

Stephen Feinberg

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Vantage Point Capital Partners

Stephen Feinberg co-founded Vantage Point Capital Partners and has served as its CEO. Vantage Point is a growth equity firm focused on software and technology-enabled companies, with more than $10 bil

John Overend

Managing Partner, Bain Capital

John Overend is a Managing Partner at Bain Capital, one of the largest private equity firms in the world, with more than $300 billion in assets under management. He has been with Bain Capital for over

Mark Moller

Managing Partner, Bain Capital

Mark Moller is a Managing Partner at Bain Capital, one of the largest private equity firms in the world, with more than $300 billion in assets under management. He is one of the firm's principal opera

Joe Bae

Co-Chief Executive Officer, KKR

Joe Bae is Co-Chief Executive Officer of KKR, one of the largest alternative asset managers in the world, with assets under management of approximately $758 billion as of Q1 2026. He was appointed Co-

Scott Nuttall

Co-Chief Executive Officer, KKR

Scott Nuttall is Co-Chief Executive Officer of KKR, one of the largest alternative asset managers in the world, with assets under management of approximately $758 billion as of Q1 2026. He was appoint

Harvey Schwartz

Chief Executive Officer, The Carlyle Group

Harvey Schwartz is Chief Executive Officer of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm with more than $290 billion in assets under management. He was appointed CEO in 2021 and has overseen Carlyle'

Josh Harris

Co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Global Management

Josh Harris co-founded Apollo Global Management in 1990 with Marc Rowan and Leon Black, and has served as its co-CEO since. Apollo has grown into one of the world's largest alternative asset managers,

James Yu

Head of Global Client Solutions, EQT

James Yu is Head of Global Client Solutions at EQT, the global private equity firm founded in 1994 in Stockholm. He leads EQT's global client relationships across its multi-strategy platform, which ma

David Tian

Managing Partner, General Atlantic

David Tian is a Managing Partner at General Atlantic, a global growth equity firm with more than $90 billion in assets under management. He has led a number of the firm's major technology investments

Marc Rowan

Managing Partner, EQT

Marc Rowan is a Managing Partner at EQT, a global private equity firm with more than $100 billion in assets under management. He is one of the firm's principal operating partners, with a focus on tech

George Roberts

Co-founder and Chairman, KKR

George Roberts co-founded KKR in 1976 with Jerome Kohlberg Jr. and Henry Kravis and has remained with the firm ever since. He is widely considered the intellectual architect of the modern leveraged bu

Henry Kravis

Co-founder, KKR

Henry Kravis co-founded KKR in 1976 with George Roberts and Jerome Kohlberg Jr. and led the firm's investment decisions through its formative decades. He was a central figure in the 1980s leveraged-bu

Jonathan Gray

President and Chief Operating Officer, Blackstone

Jonathan Gray is President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager, with more than $1.3 trillion in assets under management. He has been with Blackston

Tom Orf

Co-Chief Executive Officer, Blackstone

Tom Orf is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Blackstone, having taken on the role in the firm's 2023 leadership transition alongside Jonathan Gray. He has been a partner at Blackstone for more than a deca

Jonathan Schwartz

Managing Partner, Blackstone

Jonathan Schwartz is a Managing Partner at Blackstone and one of the senior partners on the firm's private equity platform. He has been with Blackstone for over a decade and is involved in the firm's

Richard Kahn

Co-Chief Executive Officer, Bain Capital

Richard Kahn is one of the co-CEOs of Bain Capital, one of the world's largest private equity firms, with more than $150 billion in assets under management. He has been a partner at Bain Capital for o

Christopher Cunningham

Managing Partner, Bain Capital

Christopher Cunningham is a Managing Partner at Bain Capital, one of the world's largest private equity firms, with more than $150 billion in assets under management. He is involved in the firm's majo

Robert Samuel

Managing Partner, Apollo Global Management

Robert Samuel is a Managing Partner at Apollo Global Management, one of the world's largest alternative asset managers, with more than $500 billion in assets under management. He is involved in Apollo