Michael J. Arougheti is an American businessman, the self-made billionaire Co-founder, CEO, and President of Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES), a major global alternative asset manager specializing in credit, private equity, and real estate. His career is rooted in elite finance, investment banking, and distressed asset management.

Arougheti graduated from Princeton University (1993) and held high-level roles at Royal Bank of Canada and Kidder Peabody. His philosophical approach centers on integrated credit strategies, disciplined capital allocation, and long-term asset hold in the high-yield private markets.

• Ares Management Corporation (Co-founder, CEO & President): The core publicly traded asset, a major global alternative asset manager (managing over $420 billion in assets).
• Credit Pioneer: His success is built on mastering the private credit and distressed debt market (a major component of Ares's business).
• Academic Background: He holds a B.A. from Princeton University.
• Investment Strategy: His philosophy is rooted in long-term, integrated investment across the credit, private equity, and real asset sectors.

Michael Arougheti co-founded Ares Management in 1997 (with Tony Ressler and David Kaplan), recognizing the immense, untapped potential of the credit market for institutional investors. His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the integrated credit strategy that allowed Ares to become a dominant force in direct lending, syndicated loans, and distressed debt.

The company successfully executed its IPO on the NYSE in 2014. He assumed the role of CEO and President in 2021. His wealth is secured by his long-term equity stake in the publicly traded company and the colossal, long-term, superior returns generated by Ares's credit-focused strategies.

Michael Arougheti's social impact is structural, stemming from Ares Management's role in providing essential private credit and capital to corporations globally, supporting economic growth and job creation. His personal philanthropy supports various educational and community initiatives (serving as a Trustee of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts).

His structural contribution is tied to his belief in disciplined investment and his influential role in the global private credit sector.

Michael Arougheti maintains the professional, composed style of a financial executive. His attire is consistently bespoke, favoring dark, tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the global asset management sector.

Residing in Los Angeles, California, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to investment strategy, corporate governance, and private credit specialization.