Marc Rowan
Apollo Global Management co-founder who met Jeffrey Epstein at his Manhattan house from 2013 to 2016, fielded Epstein's inquiry about buying his jet, and succeeded Leon Black as chief executive in 2021.
Marc Rowan is an American private equity investor who co-founded Apollo Global Management with Leon Black and Josh Harris and became its chief executive on March 22, 2021, when Black stepped down after the law firm Dechert reviewed his payments to Jeffrey Epstein. Records released by the Justice Department on January 30, 2026 show Rowan in contact with Epstein from 2013 to 2016, including breakfasts at Epstein's Manhattan house, a 2016 inquiry from Epstein's office about buying Rowan's private jet, and introductions made in both directions. A spokesperson said Rowan provided information to Epstein only in connection with Epstein's tax work for Black and denied any business relationship, and that "Apollo never did any business with Mr Epstein." Rowan holds bachelor's and MBA degrees from the Wharton School and was the outgoing chair of its Board of Advisors in February 2026.12
Apollo
Rowan earned a Wharton bachelor's degree in 1984 and an MBA in 1985, and co-founded Apollo with Black and Harris. In 2011 Epstein's company Financial Trust Company bought 263,257 shares in Apollo's initial public offering through a directed share program. Dechert's January 2021 report to Apollo's conflicts committee found that Black had paid Epstein 158 million dollars for work from 2012 through 2017; Dechert interviewed Rowan and Harris among more than twenty witnesses. On March 22, 2021 Apollo announced that Rowan would be chief executive and Jay Clayton non-executive chairman, and Black cited "my wife Debra's and my health issues."123
Meetings With Epstein
The earliest exchange in the released records dates from August 2013, when Epstein asked whether Rowan could plan for "the morning of the 4th"; Rowan was out of town. Rowan's assistant arranged a meeting for September 8, 2013 at 8 a.m., "to be held at Jeffery's home." For October 22, 2013 a meeting was arranged between Epstein and Apollo principals including "Leon" and "Josh," and Rowan's assistant asked whether Rowan wanted to "see Jeffrey for 1:1" beforehand; Epstein's calendar for that day reads "8:00am Breakfast w/Marc Rowan."14 In 2014 Black's office told Epstein that Black had asked Rowan to call him about "Donor Advised Funds."1
In December 2015 Black's assistant wrote that "Marc said if Jeffrey wants early breakfast that works for him, he will bring coffee!!!" An email then confirmed that "Marc will come see Jeffrey tomorrow for breakfast at 8am at Jeffrey's home," and the breakfast took place on January 6, 2016; Rowan's assistant wrote, "Marc is looking forward to seeing Jeffrey." Five days later Epstein's assistant asked to arrange a call because "Jeffrey would like to speak with Marc today," and Rowan's assistant answered that "MR will reach out to Jeffrey tonight."1
The Jet
The next day Epstein's assistant wrote to Rowan's assistant: "Jeffrey is asking if he could get the details of Marc's plane for sale...the hours, photos, any pertinent information! Possible?" At the assistant's request a representative of Hagerty Jet Group sent Epstein's assistant the aircraft's details and a price of 18.9 million dollars.1
Introductions
On January 14, 2016 Rowan met representatives of the Swiss bank Edmond de Rothschild at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse together with "Rowan's 'partner Imran.'" Rowan's spokesperson said: "Mr Rowan met with the CEO of Edmund de Rothschild bank at a meeting in 2016 arranged by Mr Epstein that Mr Epstein did not attend." In March 2016 Epstein wrote that he would introduce Rowan to Nicholas Ribis, a former executive of Donald Trump's casino resorts. In August 2016 the lawyer Perry Shwachman thanked Rowan for introducing him to Epstein and wrote to Epstein, "It would be great to talk to you about helping with potential new USVI insurance regulations."1
The spokesperson said: "In select instances, Mr Rowan provided information to Mr Epstein in connection with his tax work for Mr Black," and added that Rowan had no business ties to Epstein and that "Apollo never did any business with Mr Epstein." A University of Pennsylvania spokesperson declined to comment.1
Relationships 2
Sources
- Jain, Arti, and Alex Dash. Report on Marc Rowan's correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein in the Justice Department release, The Daily Pennsylvanian, February 2, 2026. https://www.thedp.com/article/2026/02/penn-marc-rowan-jeffrey-epstein-files-emails ↩
- Apollo Global Management, "Marc Rowan Assumes Role of CEO of Apollo; Jay Clayton Named Non-Executive Chair of Board," press release, March 22, 2021. https://ir.apollo.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/105/marc-rowan-assumes-role-of-ceo-of-apollo ↩
- Dechert LLP, Memorandum to the Apollo Conflicts Committee, "Investigation of Epstein/Black Relationship and Any Relationship Between Epstein and Apollo Global Management, Inc.," January 22, 2021, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to Apollo Global Management, Inc. Form 8-K, January 25, 2021 (accession 0001193125-21-016405), pp. 1-4, 17-18, 21-22. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000119312521016405/d118102dex991.htm ↩
- U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02122940, DataSet 10, calendar alert, "8:00am Breakfast w/Marc Rowan," October 22, 2013. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02122940.pdf ↩
Named without a link 1
Local network
Search or select an entry to see how it connects to Marc Rowan.
An interactive diagram of Marc Rowan's connections, drawn on a canvas and explored with a pointer. The same connections are listed as links in the Connected and Mentioned-in sections below.
How to read the graph
- People
- Organizations
- Programs
- Events
- Concepts
- Places
Larger = more mentions across the vault.
A link from one entry to another.
A name mentioned in an entry without a direct link. Toggle these with “Inferred”.
Gold rings mark entries mentioned across several clusters.
Orange rings mark your selection.