David Capobianco, founder, CEO, and managing partner of Five Point, built one of the most influential private investment firms focused on energy and infrastructure. Since founding the Houston-based firm in 2012, he has helped turn it into a major force in water midstream, land, and related infrastructure, while also extending its reach through ventures such as LandBridge. Known for disciplined dealmaking and long-term conviction in hard assets, Capobianco has emerged as a standout figure in the modern energy-infrastructure investing boom.

David Grain, founder and CEO of Grain Management, built one of the most influential private equity firms focused on digital infrastructure, with investments spanning broadband, wireless spectrum, and communications networks. Since launching the firm in 2007, he has positioned it at the center of the infrastructure economy by backing assets tied to connectivity and long-term data demand. Known for disciplined dealmaking and a sharp focus on strategic infrastructure, Grain has emerged as a prominent figure in private equity and telecommunications investing.

Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner of RedBird Capital Partners, has built one of the most influential private investment firms at the intersection of sports, media, entertainment, and financial services. A former Goldman Sachs partner, he launched RedBird in 2014 and expanded it into a firm managing about $14 billion, with high-profile bets tied to brands and platforms such as Fenway Sports Group, AC Milan, Skydance, and YES Network. Known for strategic dealmaking and a sharp eye for culturally powerful assets, Cardinale has become one of the standout financiers in modern sports and media investing.

Kenneth Hao, chairman and managing partner of Silver Lake, helped build the firm into one of the most powerful technology-focused private equity houses in the world. Since joining in 2000, he has played a major role in landmark investments across enterprise software, semiconductors, and internet platforms, including helping establish Silver Lake’s presence in Asia and leading high-profile bets such as Alibaba and Ant Financial. Known for a low-profile style and deep dealmaking influence, Hao stands out as one of the key architects behind Silver Lake’s rise in global tech investing.

Joseph Baratta, Blackstone’s global head of private equity strategies and a member of the firm’s board, has helped shape one of the world’s most powerful private equity franchises. Since joining Blackstone in 1998 and helping establish its European private equity business, he has risen to become one of the firm’s most influential dealmakers, overseeing directly invested private equity strategies across sectors and geographies. Known for disciplined execution and long-term value creation, Baratta stands among the most prominent figures in global private markets.

William "Bill" Chisholm, cofounder and managing partner of Symphony Technology Group, built his fortune by investing in enterprise software and technology services companies, helping turn STG into a major private equity force in the sector. Long known for operating outside the spotlight, he gained far wider public attention after agreeing to buy the Boston Celtics in a record-setting deal, adding professional sports ownership to a career defined by disciplined technology investing.

Jon Winkelried, CEO of TPG, is a veteran Wall Street executive who helped lead Goldman Sachs before taking the helm at one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers. Since joining TPG in 2015 and becoming sole CEO in 2021, he has played a central role in scaling the firm’s reach across private equity, credit, real estate, and impact investing. Known for strategic discipline and institutional gravitas, Winkelried has become one of the most influential figures in modern private markets.

Mark Attanasio, cofounder and managing partner of Crescent Capital, built his fortune in alternative asset management before becoming chairman and principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. Since leading the club’s purchase in 2005, he has paired Wall Street discipline with long-term sports ownership, establishing himself as a rare figure with influence in both high finance and professional baseball.

Walter Kortschak is a veteran venture capitalist and former managing director of Summit Partners, where he helped establish the firm’s West Coast presence and backed a long list of technology winners over more than two decades. After joining Summit in 1989, he built a reputation for high-conviction growth investing, with standout bets in companies such as McAfee, Finisar, and Xylan. He later helped launch SignalFire and now invests privately in early-stage technology, extending a career that has made him one of Silicon Valley’s most enduring investors.

Marc Zahr, co-president of Blue Owl Capital and global head of its real assets platform, helped build one of the most important institutional franchises in private real estate and infrastructure income strategies. As founder of Oak Street, the predecessor to Blue Owl’s real assets business, Zahr developed a reputation for pairing durable cash-flow assets with long-term capital, then scaled that strategy inside Blue Owl into a major platform spanning net lease real estate and digital infrastructure. Known for disciplined underwriting and institutional execution, he has become a central figure in the rise of asset-backed alternatives.

Neal Aronson, founder and managing partner of Roark Capital, built one of the most influential private equity firms in franchising, restaurants, and multi-location consumer businesses. Since founding Roark in 2001, he has developed a reputation for patient capital, operational focus, and deep expertise in brand-driven businesses, helping assemble a portfolio that has included major names such as Subway, Dunkin’, Arby’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Before Roark, Aronson cofounded U.S. Franchise Systems, giving him an early grounding in the economics of scalable branded businesses.

Steve Koltes, cofounder and honorary co-chair of CVC, helped build one of the world’s most influential private markets firms from its Citicorp roots into a global powerhouse spanning private equity, credit, secondaries, and infrastructure. After joining the business in the late 1980s, Koltes became one of the key architects of CVC’s international expansion and long-term institutional franchise, helping scale the firm across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. He stepped back from an active role in 2022 and now serves in a non-executive capacity, but remains closely associated with CVC’s rise into the top tier of global buyout firms.

Michael S. Chae, vice chairman and chief financial officer of Blackstone, is one of the firm’s most influential senior leaders, combining financial stewardship with decades of investing experience across global private markets. Since joining Blackstone in 1997, Chae has held a wide range of leadership roles—including heading international private equity and the Asia-Pacific private equity business—before becoming CFO in 2015 and vice chairman in 2025. A longtime member of Blackstone’s management and investment committees, he has played a central role in scaling one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers while helping guide strategy, valuation, and enterprise risk across the firm.

Lauren B. Leichtman, cofounder and co-chairperson of the Executive Committee at Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, helped build one of the most established middle-market private equity firms through a structured investment strategy designed to combine downside protection with long-term value creation. Since cofounding LLCP in 1984 with Arthur Levine, she has played a central role in the firm’s strategic direction, management, and investment activities as it grew into a global platform stewarding about $18.1 billion of institutional capital. Leichtman is also widely recognized as a trailblazer in private equity, with Forbes identifying her as the first woman to build a billion-dollar fortune in the industry.

Arthur E. Levine, cofounder of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, helped build one of the most established middle-market private equity firms by focusing on structured equity, downside protection, and long-term value creation. Since launching LLCP with Lauren Leichtman in 1984, Levine has played a central role in shaping the firm’s differentiated investment strategy, combining debt and equity to back founder-led and family-owned businesses across industries. Known for disciplined capital allocation and a low-profile approach, he helped scale LLCP into a global platform with decades of experience in middle-market investing.

Doug Ostrover, cofounder, co-CEO, and chairman of Blue Owl Capital, helped build one of the most influential private credit platforms of the modern era by scaling Owl Rock into a global alternative asset manager. A former senior executive at Blackstone and cofounder of GSO Capital Partners, Ostrover launched Owl Rock in 2016 with a focus on direct lending and institutional-scale private credit, then helped transform it into Blue Owl through a landmark merger. Known for disciplined underwriting, permanent-capital strategy, and deep institutional relationships, he has become a central figure in the rise of private credit as a core asset class.

Marc Lipschultz, co-chief executive officer of Blue Owl Capital, helped build one of the most influential private credit firms of the modern era by scaling Owl Rock into a global alternative asset manager. A former senior dealmaker at KKR, Lipschultz co-founded Owl Rock in 2016, then helped merge it into what became Blue Owl, a publicly traded firm spanning credit, GP stakes, and real assets. Known for disciplined underwriting, institutional relationships, and a sharp focus on permanent capital, he has played a central role in Blue Owl’s rise as a major force in private markets.

William S. Fisher, founder and CEO of Manzanita Capital, is a discreet, long-horizon investor who built a London-based private investment firm focused on premium consumer and luxury brands. A member of the founding family behind Gap Inc., Fisher also serves as a director of the retailer, bringing decades of global retail experience shaped by his earlier leadership of Gap’s international expansion. Through Manzanita, he has pursued brand-led value creation with patient capital, operating with a low public profile while maintaining influence across consumer businesses and governance.

William Conway Jr., cofounder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group, helped build one of the world’s most influential private equity firms by pioneering global buyouts and institutional alternative investing. Since launching Carlyle in 1987, Conway played a central role in expanding the firm across private equity, credit, infrastructure, and real assets, managing capital for sovereign wealth funds, pensions, and major institutions worldwide. Known for disciplined dealmaking and long-term capital relationships, he has been instrumental in shaping modern global private markets. Conway is also a major philanthropist, supporting education and healthcare initiatives across the United States.

Tom Gores is the billionaire founder of Platinum Equity and owner of the Detroit Pistons. In February 2026, he launched "Same Page Entertainment," a multimedia venture with Jalen Rose to spotlight Detroit’s creative talent. His sports portfolio expanded recently to include a WNBA franchise set to debut in 2029 and a minority stake in the LA Chargers. On the court, his Pistons have surged to the top of the Eastern Conference behind MVP candidate Cade Cunningham. A prolific philanthropist, Gores recently donated $350,000 to SAY Detroit to revitalize the historic St. Cecilia’s Gym. With over $50 billion in assets under management at Platinum Equity, he remains a dominant force in global private equity and Michigan’s economic resurgence.