Wes Edens
Wes Edens is the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Fortress Investment Group, a leading, globally diversified investment manager. Under his leadership, Fortress has developed and managed transportation and infrastructure projects worldwide and built market-leading businesses across real estate, healthcare, financial services, media, and entertainment. Edens is also the Founder and Chairman of New Fortress Energy, a fully integrated global energy company, and played a pivotal role in the development of Brightline, the first privately owned, operated, and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. Before founding Fortress, he served as Partner and Managing Director at BlackRock, where he led BlackRock Asset Investors, a private equity fund, and held senior leadership roles at Lehman Brothers. Edens is also a prominent sports investor, co-owning the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, Premier League soccer team Aston Villa, and Portugal’s Vitória Club Sport soccer club.
Wes Edens Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
-
Co-Founder and Co-Chairman
-
Partner and Managing Director, BlackRock Asset Investors
-
Partner and Managing Director
Academic History
-
B.S., Finance
Under Wes Edens’ leadership, Fortress Investment Group has developed and owned transportation and infrastructure projects across the globe.
As CEO, he has guided the company’s growth into a fully integrated, global energy leader, improving lives through its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, power generation facilities, and logistics assets worldwide.
Edens oversaw Fortress’ private equity and publicly traded alternative investment businesses and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2006, serving on the Management Committee since co-founding the firm in 1998.
EARLY CAREER
Edens brings extensive expertise in credit, private equity, and corporate finance.
Before co-founding Fortress, he was Partner and Managing Director at BlackRock Financial Management, where he led BlackRock Asset Investors, a private equity fund, and previously held a Partner and Managing Director role at Lehman Brothers Holdings.
He has been featured in leading media outlets including Forbes, Business Insider, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, and Time.
Edens has also served on the boards of numerous publicly traded companies and registered investment companies, such as OneMain Holdings, Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC, Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Gaming and Leisure Properties, Nationstar Mortgage Holdings, New Residential Investment Corp., Brookdale Senior Living Inc., Aircastle, GateHouse Media, and New Senior Investment Group Inc.
PHILANTHROPY & IMPACT
Wes Edens and his family established The Edens Family Fund for Climate Change Research at Princeton University and endowed the Edens Professorship in Global Health at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
They also created a dedicated research fund to address international infectious diseases and environmental health hazards, demonstrating a commitment to leveraging wealth for global scientific and humanitarian impact.