Alec E. Gores was born in Nazareth, Israel, in 1953 to a Christian family of Greek (father) and Lebanese (mother) descent. His family emigrated to Flint, Michigan, in 1968 when he was 15, a challenging transition that saw them arrive with barely enough money for the plane tickets.

His first job was bagging groceries at his uncle’s store in Flint for '25 cents an hour', providing his true business foundation. He became the first person in his family to attend college, graduating from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. His philosophy, instilled by his father, was simple: “You’ve got to work hard, and you can do anything you want in this country,” a conviction that drove his subsequent, aggressive career.

Alec Gores began his career as a computer programmer at General Motors but left within six months, finding the 8-to-5 job too slow for his ambitious pace. Driven by a desire to 'move fast', he founded his first company, Executive Business Systems (EBS), in 1978 with a modest $8,000 investment from his father. He sold EBS in 1986 for approximately $2 million.

The sale proceeds provided the seed capital for his true destiny: founding the private equity firm The Gores Group in 1987. Gores pioneered an 'operational approach' to private equity, focusing on buying, fixing, and selling technology and industrial businesses. The most recent and explosive chapter of his career was his early and aggressive embrace of SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies) since 2015, becoming the most prolific SPAC sponsor in the market. His SPACs have taken major companies like Hostess Brands and Luminar Technologies public, further accelerating his multi-billion dollar fortune.

Alec Gores’ philanthropic efforts are highly private, but his public statements and actions emphasize his profound gratitude for the opportunities provided by the United States as an immigrant. His giving tends to align with community upliftment, often influenced by his devout Catholic faith.

His family commitment extends to media, having commissioned the 2005 film The Kid & I, which starred his son Eric. On a corporate level, his 'buy, fix, and sell' model inherently focuses on operational improvement and job stability in the distressed companies he acquires. His core value is the promotion of the American Dream, urging others to 'embrace it, respect it, blend in' while remaining proud of their roots.