Fortress Investment Group
Fortress Investment Group is a leading global alternative investment firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1998 by Wes Edens, Mike Novogratz, Rob Kauffman, Randal Nardone, and Pete Briger, Fortress is recognized as a pioneer in the private equity and private credit spaces. The firm was the first large U.S. private equity firm to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and a pioneer in digital assets, becoming the first Wall Street investment firm to enter the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency markets through an SEC filing. As of 2026, Fortress manages over $54 billion in assets under management (AUM) on behalf of more than 2,000 institutional investors and private clients globally, operating across 13 international offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Associated People
2002 - present
1998 - present
2011 - 2016
2002 - 2015
2008 - 2012
2007 - 2010
2002 - 2010
2006 - 2009
2003 - 2008
2005 - 2006
1996 - 2001
ABOUT FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP
Fortress Investment Group is a diversified global asset manager specializing in private equity, credit, real estate, and asset-based finance strategies.
Founded in 1998, Fortress delivers risk-adjusted returns by leveraging deep expertise across changing market cycles, asset classes, industries, and geographies.
Fortress manages $54 billion in assets across five core strategies, employing over 900 professionals across offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
CORE BUSINESS DIVISIONS
Credit and Private Lending: Representing the vast majority of Fortress’s assets under management, this division specializes in opportunistic credit, direct lending, asset-based finance, structured credit, and non-performing loan (NPL) portfolios.
Real Estate Equity and Credit: Focuses on opportunistic real estate investments across commercial, residential, senior housing, and logistics sectors, alongside providing mezzanine and senior credit financing for major property developments globally.
Private Equity: Targets opportunistic, control-oriented investments in capital-intensive sectors, including transportation, logistics, leisure, financial services, and media infrastructure.
Intellectual Property and Legal Assets: A specialized practice providing credit and capital solutions backed by corporate patent portfolios, intellectual property licensing, and litigation funding.
Permanent Capital and Multi-Manager Group: Manages specialized vehicles and multi-strategy liquid funds tailored to institutional investors seeking flexible risk-adjusted returns.
NOTABLE INVESTMENTS & PORTFOLIO ASSETS
Consumer and Retail: Owns major casual dining and hospitality brands, including Red Lobster (acquired via bankruptcy recapitalization), UK-based café and bar operator Loungers, and the SPB Hospitality portfolio.
Transport and Aviation Infrastructure: Holds significant investments across maritime transport (including marine services giant BOURBON) and aviation infrastructure, such as freighter conversion operator Mammoth Freighters.
Real Estate and Senior Living: Active developer and owner of major commercial properties and specialized senior housing communities across the US, UK, and Japan, including landmark leisure destinations such as Spa Resort Hawaiians.
Technology and Specialty Finance: Regularly leads multi-hundred-million-dollar credit facilities and forward-flow agreements for fintech platforms, including Upstart and Blue Raven Solutions.