Wes Edens is an American businessman, venture capitalist, and film producer. He has helped finance the creation of over 200 business startups in various industries, including structured finance, homebuilding, and retailing. He was born on June 25, 1955, in Chicago.
Achievements of Wes Edens
In 1985, Wes Edens purchased a seat on the American Stock Exchange. In 1993 Wes bought the National Bankers Life Insurance Company, the fourth-largest insurance company in Wisconsin. Edens merged his acquired corporation with Green Bay-based M&I Bank Corporation, where he became vice chairman of the board before moving to Black Rock Financial Management L.L.C. in 1997 and eventually becoming R.B.S. Greenwich Capital’s co-head of global equities, New York City in 1998.
In 2004, Edens started Black Rock Financial Management L.L.C., a risk management and investor relations firm. In 2006, he founded the private equity firm Castle Hill Capital with Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. and sold his investment firm to Euro Pacific Capital in 2010.
Edens is the principal stockholder of The Fortress Investment Group, a New York-based private equity firm, where he serves as C.E.O. along with his business partner Jamie Dinan. He founded Green Brook Partners L.L.C. in 2011 along with Jason Paltrowitz, who formerly worked at Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Western Asset Partners II LP.
In 2007, Edens co-founded Ares Capital in the U.S. along with Antony Ressler and Michael Blum. Soon after, they formed Ares Management in Los Angeles, California. Wes Edens was a part owner of the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks, which he received after buying out previous owner Herb Kohl. He has been a part of the ownership of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC, which joined the league in 2018. In June 2011, Edens and Kohl bought the N.B.A. team for $550 million. Edens is a minority owner of English football team Sheffield Wednesday F.C., an investment group he started with former N.B.A. player Magic Johnson, among others.