Ares Management

Ares Management Corporation is a global alternative investment manager headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm was established in 1997 by a group of investment professionals including Antony Ressler, Michael Arougheti, David Kaplan, John H. Kissick, and Bennett Rosenthal. It developed from a credit-oriented investment platform into a diversified manager serving institutional investors, family offices, sovereign institutions, insurance companies, pension funds, wealth-management channels, and other eligible investors. Ares organizes its principal investment activities around credit, private equity, real estate, and infrastructure and power. Its credit business invests across liquid and illiquid corporate credit, direct lending, leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, special situations, and other non-investment-grade assets. This area has been an important part of the firm's identity and has made Ares one of the prominent participants in private credit and middle-market lending. Through affiliated platforms, the group provides financing for acquisitions, recapitalizations, leveraged buyouts, and other corporate needs. The private equity business generally targets middle-market companies and may pursue majority, shared-control, opportunistic, and growth investments. Ares has also developed investment capabilities in power and infrastructure, including assets connected with generation, transmission, and midstream activities. Its real-estate platform invests in public and private real-estate equity and debt across North America and Europe, using commingled funds, separately managed accounts, publicly traded vehicles, and other structures. The Asia-Pacific strategy associated with Ares SSG adds credit, private equity, and special-situations investing in the region. Ares expanded internationally in the 2000s, including through the creation of Ares Management Limited in the United Kingdom. It later added capabilities and geographic reach through acquisitions. The purchase of American Capital in 2017 materially broadened Ares's asset-management and direct-lending platform. Its acquisition of a controlling interest in SSG Capital Management in 2020 strengthened its Asia-Pacific presence, while the 2021 purchase of Black Creek Group's U.S. real-estate investment-advisory and distribution business expanded its real-estate platform. In 2024, Ares announced or completed further expansion through investments involving RSK Group and the acquisition of the international business of GLP Capital Partners, excluding its Greater China operations. Ares became a publicly traded company through an initial public offering in May 2014 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ARES. The company continues to operate as a multi-strategy alternative asset manager rather than as a conventional retail financial-services brand. Its business model combines investment management fees, performance-related income, permanent-capital vehicles, institutional funds, and separately managed mandates. In addition to investment products, the broader Ares ecosystem includes affiliated and publicly traded vehicles such as Ares Capital Corporation and Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation. The firm has also made selected nontraditional investments, including a minority interest in the Miami Dolphins announced in 2024. The reference material describes Ares as having approximately $671.3 billion in assets under management and about 4,400 employees as of June 30, 2026; these figures are time-specific and should not be treated as current outside that reporting date.

Ares Management was established in 1997 by Antony Ressler, Michael Arougheti, David Kaplan, John H. Kissick, and Bennett Rosenthal. The firm initially developed around alternative investment activities, particularly credit and private equity, and subsequently broadened its platform to include real estate, infrastructure, and power investments. Its strategy has generally emphasized complex, illiquid, and non-investment-grade assets, as well as middle-market companies and financing transactions. The company expanded beyond the United States during the 2000s. A minority interest was acquired by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in May 2007; the investment did not provide the institution with voting or governance rights, according to the cited reference material. Ares established Ares Management Limited in the United Kingdom in 2006 to support its European capital-markets and investment-advisory operations. The British entity operates under Financial Conduct Authority authorization for certain advisory activities. Ares added permanent-capital and specialty-finance capabilities through Ares Capital Corporation, established in 2004. Ares Capital Corporation is a publicly traded, closed-end, non-diversified specialty-finance company regulated as a business development company under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940. Ares Capital Management LLC serves as its investment adviser. The wider organization also developed a real-estate platform that includes public and private investment vehicles and affiliated businesses. In May 2014, Ares Management completed its initial public offering and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The public listing provided a permanent corporate-capital structure while the firm's investment businesses continued to raise private funds and manage separate accounts. In April 2016, the firm closed its fifth global private-equity fund with approximately $7.85 billion in commitments, as reported in the reference material. A major transformation came through the acquisition of American Capital. Ares announced the transaction in 2016 and completed it in January 2017. The deal expanded Ares's credit, direct-lending, and asset-management capabilities and added scale to its presence in middle-market finance. Ares continued its international development in Asia through the acquisition of a controlling stake in Hong Kong-based SSG Capital Management. Announced in January 2020 and completed in July of that year, the business became known as Ares SSG and focused on credit, private equity, and special situations in the Asia-Pacific region. Real estate became another important expansion area. On July 1, 2021, Ares completed the acquisition of Black Creek Group's U.S. real-estate investment-advisory and distribution business. The transaction strengthened Ares's ability to manage and distribute U.S. real-estate strategies. In 2024, the firm continued to broaden its investment activities. Together with Searchlight Capital, it invested £500 million in preferred equity in RSK Group, a United Kingdom-based environmental, engineering, and technical-services group. In October 2024, Ares acquired the international business of GLP Capital Partners, excluding its Greater China business, in a transaction using both cash and Ares Class A common stock. Ares also entered a new type of asset ownership in December 2024 by acquiring a 10% interest in the Miami Dolphins. This followed approval of a framework permitting selected external investors to acquire minority stakes in National Football League franchises. In April 2026, the reference material states that Ares agreed to acquire Whitestone REIT in an approximately $1.7 billion all-cash transaction. The firm therefore combines a long-established alternative-investment heritage with a continually expanding multi-strategy platform. The cited Wikipedia material reports approximately $671.3 billion in assets under management and roughly 4,400 employees as of June 30, 2026; those figures are explicitly date-bound.

1. 2026Whitestone REIT acquisition agreement

   Ares agrees to acquire Whitestone REIT in an approximately $1.7 billion all-cash transaction, according to the supplied reference material.

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2. 2024GLP Capital Partners international business is acquired

   Ares acquires GLP Capital Partners' international operations outside Greater China using cash and Ares Class A common stock.

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3. 2024Miami Dolphins minority investment

   Ares acquires a 10% interest in the Miami Dolphins.

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4. 2021Black Creek U.S. real-estate business joins Ares

   Ares completes the acquisition of Black Creek Group's U.S. real-estate investment-advisory and distribution business.

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5. 2020Ares SSG is formed

   Ares completes its acquisition of a controlling interest in SSG Capital Management, which subsequently operates as Ares SSG.

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6. 2017American Capital acquisition closes

   Ares completes its approximately $3.4 billion acquisition of American Capital.

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7. 2016Fifth global private-equity fund closes

   Ares closes its fifth global private-equity fund with approximately $7.85 billion in capital raised.

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8. 2014Initial public offering

   Ares Management completes its IPO and becomes listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ARES.

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9. 2007Abu Dhabi Investment Authority takes a minority interest

   The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority acquires a minority interest in Ares without voting or governance rights, according to the cited reference.

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10. 2006European platform is expanded

    Ares Management Limited is established in the United Kingdom to support European capital-markets and investment-advisory activities.

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11. 2004Ares Capital Corporation is established

    The affiliated business is created to provide financing to middle-market companies involved in acquisitions, recapitalizations, and leveraged buyouts.

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12. 1997Ares Management is founded

    Antony Ressler, Michael Arougheti, David Kaplan, John H. Kissick, and Bennett Rosenthal establish the alternative investment firm.

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Global, institutionally oriented alternative-asset manager with a strong private-credit franchise and broad capabilities across private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and special situations.

• Ares Credit GroupCredit and private debt

  Ares's credit platform manages liquid and illiquid credit strategies, including direct lending, leveraged finance, high-yield and other non-investment-grade credit, special situations, and related corporate-finance investments. Its activities span institutional funds, separately managed accounts, and permanent-capital structures. The group is particularly associated with financing middle-market companies and transactions such as acquisitions, recapitalizations, and leveraged buyouts.

• Ares Private Equity GroupPrivate equity

  The private-equity platform makes opportunistic investments in middle-market companies, including majority-control, shared-control, and growth-oriented transactions. It has managed commingled funds focused primarily on North America and, to a lesser extent, Europe, as well as China-focused growth strategies and co-investment vehicles. The platform seeks businesses where operational improvement, capital support, or strategic development can create value over an investment period.

• Ares Real Estate GroupReal-estate investment

  Ares Real Estate Group invests in public and private real-estate equity and debt across North America and Europe. Its structures include private-equity commingled funds, debt strategies, separately managed accounts, and publicly traded real-estate vehicles. The acquisition of Black Creek's U.S. real-estate advisory and distribution business expanded the group's domestic real-estate platform and distribution capabilities.

• Ares Infrastructure and PowerInfrastructure and power

  This platform invests in infrastructure and power-related assets, including businesses and projects connected with power generation, transmission, and midstream activities. It operates alongside Ares's private-equity capabilities and provides dedicated funds and co-investment structures for investors seeking exposure to essential assets and infrastructure-related operating companies.

• Ares SSGAsia-Pacific alternative investments2020

  Ares SSG is the Asia-Pacific alternative-investment platform created after Ares acquired a controlling interest in SSG Capital Management. It invests across credit, private equity, and special situations in the region, with an emphasis on complex transactions and opportunities requiring local market expertise.

• Ares Capital CorporationBusiness development company and specialty finance2004

  Ares Capital Corporation is a publicly traded closed-end, non-diversified specialty-finance company regulated as a business development company under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940. It provides financing to middle-market companies, including debt and related capital solutions for acquisitions, recapitalizations, leveraged buyouts, and general corporate purposes. Ares Capital Management LLC acts as its investment adviser.

• Ares Commercial Real Estate CorporationCommercial real-estate finance

  Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation is an affiliated publicly traded real-estate finance vehicle associated with Ares's broader real-estate platform. The vehicle provides exposure to commercial real-estate debt and related financing activities through a permanent-capital structure.

• 2026Agreement to acquire Whitestone REITM&A

  Ares sought to expand its real-estate ownership and operating platform through the acquisition of a shopping-center REIT focused on Arizona and Texas.

  What changed. Ares agreed to acquire Whitestone REIT in an all-cash transaction.

  Aftermath. The reference material describes the transaction as approximately $1.7 billion; completion status is not established in the supplied material.

  Announced transaction value. Approximately $1.7 billion (April 2026 agreement)

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• 2024Acquisition of GLP Capital Partners' international businessM&A

  Ares continued to expand its global real-assets and investment-management capabilities outside Greater China.

  What changed. Ares acquired GLP Capital Partners' international business, excluding Greater China, in a transaction combining cash and Ares Class A common stock.

  Aftermath. The acquisition broadened Ares's international platform and real-assets capabilities.

  Consideration. Approximately $3.7 billion in cash and $1.9 billion in Ares Class A common stock (October 2024 announcement)

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• 2021Acquisition of Black Creek's U.S. real-estate businessM&A

  Ares aimed to broaden its U.S. real-estate investment-advisory and distribution capabilities.

  What changed. Ares completed the acquisition of Black Creek Group's U.S. real-estate investment-advisory and distribution business.

  Aftermath. The deal expanded the scale and distribution reach of Ares's U.S. real-estate platform.

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• 2020Acquisition of SSG Capital ManagementM&A

  Ares pursued greater scale and local investment capability in Asia-Pacific alternative assets.

  What changed. Ares acquired a controlling interest in Hong Kong-based SSG Capital Management; the transaction completed in July 2020 and the business became Ares SSG.

  Aftermath. The transaction strengthened Ares's regional credit, private-equity, and special-situations platform.

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• 2016Agreement to acquire American CapitalM&A

  Ares sought to expand its credit, direct-lending, and asset-management capabilities through the purchase of American Capital.

  What changed. Ares announced an approximately $3.4 billion acquisition, which closed in January 2017.

  Aftermath. The transaction increased the scale and breadth of Ares's middle-market credit and asset-management operations.

  Transaction value. $3.4 billion announced transaction value (2016 announcement; January 2017 completion)

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• 2026Ares agrees to acquire Whitestone REIT

  Ares agreed to acquire Whitestone REIT, an operator of outdoor shopping centers in Arizona and Texas, in an all-cash transaction described in the reference material as valued at approximately $1.7 billion.

  M&A
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• 2024Ares and Searchlight invest in RSK Group

  Ares, working with Searchlight Capital, invested £500 million through a preferred-equity transaction in RSK Group, a United Kingdom environmental, engineering, and technical-services company.

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• 2024Ares acquires international GLP Capital Partners business

  Ares acquired GLP Capital Partners' international business, excluding its Greater China operations, in a transaction comprising cash and Ares Class A common stock.

  M&A
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• 2024Ares acquires minority interest in the Miami Dolphins

  Ares acquired a 10% interest in the Miami Dolphins, following a change that allowed selected outside investors to purchase stakes in National Football League franchises.

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• 2021Ares completes acquisition of Black Creek's U.S. real-estate advisory business

  Ares completed its acquisition of Black Creek Group's U.S. real-estate investment-advisory and distribution business, expanding its real-estate capabilities.

  M&A
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• 2020Ares acquires controlling stake in SSG Capital Management

  Ares agreed to acquire a controlling interest in Hong Kong-based alternative investment manager SSG Capital Management. The transaction formally completed in July 2020, after which the business operated as Ares SSG.

  M&A
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• 2016Ares announces acquisition of American Capital

  Ares announced an agreement to acquire American Capital in a transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion. The deal closed in January 2017.

  M&A
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• 2016Ares closes its fifth global private-equity fund

  The firm closed its fifth global private-equity fund, raising approximately $7.85 billion according to the cited reference material.

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• 2014Ares Management completes initial public offering

  Ares Management completed its initial public offering and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ARES.

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1. Ares Management
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3. Ares Management leadership