Wes Edens

Wes Edens co-founded Fortress Investment Group in 1998, building one of the most diversified alternative asset management platforms. Fortress became notable for being one of the first alternative managers to go public when it listed on the NYSE in February 2007. The Fortress platform includes private equity, credit, real assets, and liquid alternatives. Edens has been involved in several high-profile sports and entertainment investments, including ownership of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise, the Aston Villa Football Club (UK Premier League), and various infrastructure investments. Fortress was acquired by SoftBank Group in 2017. Edens has continued to develop his investment career while maintaining various sports and entertainment ownership positions. His background includes prior roles at Lehman Brothers and BlackRock Financial Management. The Fortress IPO, completed shortly before the 2008 financial crisis, marked a pivotal moment for the alternative asset management industry's relationship with public capital markets.