Marc Lasry

Marc Lasry
Name	Marc Lasry
Birth date	22 September 1959
Birth place	Casablanca, Morocco
Nationality	Moroccan-American
Alma mater	Clark University; New York University
Occupation	Investor; Philanthropist; Sports executive
Known for	Co-founder of Ares Management, former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks

Marc Lasry is a Moroccan-American investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist known for co-founding Ares Management and for his former co-ownership of the Milwaukee Bucks. He has been active in distressed debt investing, credit markets, and private equity, and has engaged in philanthropic, political, and cultural initiatives involving institutions such as Mount Sinai Health System and The Museum of Modern Art. Lasry's career has intersected with major figures and organizations across finance, sports, philanthropy, and politics.

Early life and education

Lasry was born in Casablanca to a family with roots in the Jewish community of Morocco. His parents emigrated to the United States and were involved in retail and finance in New York City. He attended Clark University where he studied history and later earned a master's degree from New York University's Stern School of Business. During his formative years he was influenced by networks in Wall Street and connections to figures associated with firms such as Salomon Brothers and Lehman Brothers.

Career

Lasry began his career in trading and distressed debt, working with counterparties in the junk bond markets and dealing with portfolios related to firms like Drexel Burnham Lambert. He founded and developed investment platforms that interacted with institutions such as Bank of America, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs. Over decades he engaged with private equity groups including The Blackstone Group, KKR, and Carlyle Group, while negotiating restructurings involving companies like Enron-era assets and WorldCom-related claims. His career connected him with hedge fund managers and financiers such as Marty Zweig and Paul Tudor Jones.

Ares Management and business ventures

Lasry co-founded Ares Management with partners including Tony Ressler; the firm partnered with investors from Apollo Global Management-adjacent networks and competed with firms such as KKR and BlackRock. Under his leadership Ares established strategies across credit, private equity, and real estate, collaborating with institutional clients like CalPERS, New York State Common Retirement Fund, and Harvard Management Company. Lasry's business ventures extended to asset management affiliates, family offices comparable to Rockefeller Family Office and Soros Fund Management, and investment vehicles resembling structures used by Bain Capital and TPG Capital.

Investment strategy and notable deals

Lasry's investment strategy emphasizes distressed debt, special situations, and opportunistic credit—similar to approaches used by investors such as Wilbur Ross and Howard Marks. He executed notable deals involving sovereign and corporate restructurings, negotiating claims reminiscent of cases with Argentina's bondholders and negotiations involving Detroit municipal restructurings. His transactions often required coordination with legal entities like firms similar to Cleary Gottlieb and Skadden, Arps, and regulators including officials in Washington, D.C. and international bodies like the International Monetary Fund. Lasry participated in high-profile acquisitions paralleling investments in companies akin to Toys "R" Us and restructurings comparable to American Airlines-era reorganizations.

Philanthropy and political activity

Lasry has been active in philanthropy, donating to medical centers such as Mount Sinai Hospital and cultural institutions including The Museum of Modern Art and Lincoln Center. He has supported Jewish organizations like American Jewish Committee and Jewish Federation. Politically, Lasry has donated to campaigns and committees associated with figures linked to Democratic Party politics and engaged with fundraisers attended by officials from administrations in Washington, D.C. He has contributed to bipartisan policy forums resembling those hosted by the Brookings Institution and the Atlantic Council, and supported causes connected to foreign policy discussions involving Israel and transatlantic relations with France and United Kingdom partners.

Personal life

Lasry resides in New York City and has familial ties to business families active in finance and retail; relatives have been involved with enterprises in Morocco and the United States. He was a co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise alongside partners including Wesley Edens and Jamie Dinan, engaging with league offices at NBA headquarters and working with executives such as Adam Silver. In sports contexts he interacted with athletes and agents connected to agencies like CAA and Wasserman. Lasry has been associated with social circles that include philanthropists and financiers like Michael Bloomberg and Leon Black.

Awards and recognition

Lasry has been recognized within financial and philanthropic circles with honors comparable to awards from institutions such as New York University and civic groups in New York City. His work in asset management has been profiled by publications akin to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. Professional associations and industry conferences featuring Lasry have included gatherings with representatives from SIFMA, IMF, and global investor forums hosted in cities like London, Hong Kong, and Dubai.

Category:American financiers Category:American philanthropists Category:People from Casablanca