• Marc Rowan on Wednesday addressed succession at the private-equity giant Apollo Global.
• The remarks come weeks after he interviewed for a Trump Cabinet position.
• He flagged several key heads of businesses and the "next generation" of talent.

After Apollo CEO Marc Rowan's whirlwind candidacy for Donald Trump's Treasury secretary, questions remain about what could become of the firm after his eventual exit. After all, he's the last remaining "cofounder" of the newest member of the S&P 500 (Rowan and Josh Harris, the firm's former COO, were granted cofounder status by then-CEO Leon Black about the time the firm went public).

When asked about succession at Wednesday's Goldman Sachs Financial Services Conference, Rowan laid out the private-equity giant's general plan, including the members of his team who could one day succeed him.

"Part of the responsibility that we think we have in stewarding a company is to make sure that everyone has a backup, myself included," Rowan said before delving into the firm's stable of senior talent.

He highlighted "two very, very senior partners" in asset management, likely referring to Scott Kleinman and Jim Zelter. As Business Insider has previously reported, Wall Street stock analysts view the two Apollo Asset Management copresidents as Rowan's natural successors. Rowan also mentioned "two very, very senior partners" in the firm's retirement-services business, Athene. The heads of that business include Grant Kvalheim, its president, and Jim Belardi, its cofounder, CEO, and chief investment officer.

But beyond these names, Rowan said there's "another 10 in asset management and another handful in retirement services" who represent "the next generation" of Apollo executives. He suggested they could soon start playing a more pronounced role in running the company.

"I think you should look to the next 12 months as we will start really pushing forward the next generation and making the transition before we need to," Rowan said, comparing Apollo's preparations for the future to those at any large financial firm.

Rowan, the CEO of Apollo since 2021, has been the visionary behind the company's transformation from a traditional private-equity firm to one that also issues loans and retirement products. The stock is up nearly 275% since he took the helm.

Last month, he was floated as a prospect for Treasury secretary under Trump and Puck reported he flew to Mar-a-Lago to meet with the president-elect, who ultimately tapped the hedge-fund manager Scott Bessent.

Rowan made the comments just days after Apollo was picked to join the S&P 500 index starting December 23, with its stock reaching record highs. Rowan, however, warned against complacency.

"It's just important to realize all of our industry has been really successful," Rowan said, adding that some might be "tempted to take a breath, take a victory lap, or they can keep trying to win."

As BI has previously reported, Rowan has gone to great lengths to keep his employees on their toes despite the company's success, including 4 a.m. wake-up calls and bringing in speakers to scare "'the bejesus out of them."

"I want to make sure that we have a team that is not tired that wants to win because winning is going to involve changing," Rowan said Wednesday. "The shape of our firms is not going to be the same in the next five years."

• Apollo CEO Marc Rowan has transformed Apollo since he took over as CEO in 2021.
• Now, he's being floated as a potential Treasury Secretary under Donald Trump.
• Here's what could happen to Rowan's vision if he leaves and who might fill his shoes.

Since Marc Rowan took over Apollo Global Management in 2021, he's transformed the firm — sending the stock skyrocketing.

Now, the 62-year-old CEO is being floated as a potential candidate for Treasury Secretary under Donald Trump, raising questions about who could take his place, how his departure could impact the firm's ambitious growth plans, and how Apollo might benefit from the Trump White House.

Business Insider spoke to Chris Kotowski, a stock research analyst who covers Apollo for Oppenheimer. He said Rowan's five-year plan for Apollo, which includes doubling its lending business to $1.2 trillion by 2029, would proceed without him.

"I don't think that the vision changes any time soon if Rowan were to leave," Kotowkski told BI. "While Marc is in many ways the visionary leader, I think that APO is pretty institutionalized now and will get on fine without the founder," he said, referring to the company by its stock ticker.

Contenders to take over the top role, Kotowski said, include Apollo copresidents Scott Kleinman and Jim Zelter, as well as Grant Kvalheim, president of Apollo's insurance arm Athene, which has provided Apollo capital for its burgeoning lending business.

"The most likely outcome, in my view, is that the two copresidents, Scott Kleinman and Jim Zelter, would be made coCEOs," Kotowski told BI.

Representatives for Apollo didn't return a request for comment on Rowan's plans or the firm's succession plans.

Rowan is Apollo's second CEO since the firm was founded in 1990. Founder Leon Black ran the firm as CEO until he stepped down in 2021 amid a cloud over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. An independent investigation ordered by Apollo found Black had paid the convicted sex offender and financier $158 million in fees over the years for financial advice and tax planning (Black has previously told investors "I deeply regret" his involvement with Epstein).

Josh Harris, another founder, was also reportedly in the running for CEO, but Rowan got the job.

Black and Harris, owner of the Washington Commanders and other sports teams, remain large shareholders of Apollo with 7.5% and 6.0% stakes respectively. Rowan, also a founder, owns 6.1%.

Kotowski, however, ruled out any suggestion that either Black or Harris would reenter the picture should Rowan leave.

"Black and Harris are almost certainly not coming back," Kotowski said.

Representatives for both men declined to comment.

Since taking over the top job, Rowan's credit strategy has become the envy of the industry. Apollo's 2022 merger with Athene brought life insurance and retirement capital to Apollo's balance sheet, which it has leveraged to become the world's largest private lender.

This extra capital helped Apollo thrive during the last few years, stepping in to lend to corporate clients while banks and others took a back seat. Apollo has become the leader of an industry boom in private credit, which now makes up $598 billion of the firm's $733 billion of assets under management.

In a presentation to investors in October, Rowan unveiled plans to double down on the firm's lending business. More recently, he explained how the firm plans to attract more insurance dollars, which will fund the lending business, by expanding its annuity products for retirees.

Kleinman has worked at Apollo since 1996, and was named lead partner for private equity at the firm in 2009. Zelter, longtime leader of credit at Apollo, joined the company in 2006 after a long career at Citigroup where he rose to become CIO of alternative investments.

The men were named copresidents in 2018.

Kotowski called Kvalheim, president of Athene and CEO of Athene USA, a "dark horse" candidate, saying his "betting would generally be on Kleinman and Zelter."

Regardless of whether Rowan leaves or not, his vision could be helped by the Trump administration. Rowan often points to Australia's retirement model, which has been open to more private investment for decades and outperforms the American model, as a model that would boost Apollo's growth.

Trump previously opened up some 401(k) investing to private equity in 2020, and Rowan has signaled hope that it could expand further.

"Should we get access to 401(k) through broad-based reform or regulatory change or regulatory encouragement, I believe that would be upside not just for us, but for the entire industry," Rowan said earlier this month.

Of course, if Rowan were to leave, he likely would have to sell his 6.1% share in Apollo, worth nearly $6 billion, and have his assets put into a blind trust. It's unclear what that could do to the stock price, but given Apollo's recent stellar performance, it's not a bad time to divest.

• President-elect Donald Trump is still weighing who should be his next Treasury secretary.
• Trump named one of the early frontrunners, Howard Lutnick, to another cabinet post.
• With Lutnick out of contention, Trump appears to be nearing a final decision.

President-elect Donald Trump has narrowed the field for his Treasury secretary pick.

Two Wall Street stalwarts, Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick, were widely seen as the frontrunners. On Tuesday, Trump announced that Lutnick would lead the Commerce Department instead. It likely means that the president-elect is narrowing down his list for his last major cabinet pick.

Two weeks after securing his return to the White House, Trump already has nominees in place for the other major cabinet positions. He is tapping Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida to lead the State Department, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to command the Pentagon, and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to be the next attorney general. Trump's blistering pace of nominations has slowed when selecting his top economic official.

Before Lutnick was taken out of the running, The New York Times reported that Trump had grown irritated with the billionaire's jockeying to get the nomination.

Amid the mostly private knife fighting, the Times reported that Trump has widened the search to include two new prospects: Kevin Warsh and Marc Rowan.

In response to questions about president-elect's process, Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump-Vance Transition, said decisions about the next Trump administration will be "announced by him when they are made."

Here are the top picks Trump is reportedly now considering for Treasury secretary.

Kevin Warsh

Warsh, 54, is a former Morgan Stanley banker and one of the newer contenders.

He was an economic advisor to President George W. Bush from 2002 to 2006 and a governor of the Federal Reserve Board from 2006 to 2011. During the latter period, Warsh was a central figure in shaping the nation's response to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, working to rescue major ailing banks.

More recently, he's been working on Trump's transition team, helping with economic policy and personnel, according to The Journal.

Warsh appears to have been in the president-elect's good graces for several years. Axios reported that Trump praised Warsh as a "really handsome guy" when the two met in 2017 at the White House.

Trump had been floating Warsh that year as a frontrunner for Fed chair. He eventually picked Jerome Powell for the role.

Warsh is often seen as a financial hawk, saying in October that he believed the Fed "doesn't seem to have a serious theory of inflation" and writing in July that it moved too slowly to curb surging prices.

In his July commentary, he blamed inflation on "irresponsible government spending and excessive money printing." Warsh has also been critical of America's burgeoning debt.

Marc Rowan

Rowan, 62, is a billionaire investor who leads Apollo Global Management, which he cofounded in the 1990s. It now has nearly $700 billion in assets under management. Apollo recently announced that it plans to double its assets under management to $1.5 trillion by 2029.

The Journal and the Times reported that Rowan, like Warsh, is one of Trump's new candidates.

The Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that while the billionaire's aides are in touch with Trump, Rowan isn't actively trying to secure the Treasury Secretary role and hasn't spoken to Trump personally about such a position.

But the Times also wrote that Trump has been telling his staff that he's impressed with Rowan, who Bloomberg estimates to be worth $10.9 billion.

Rowan has said that US economic concerns must be fixed by what he called "wholesale change," which he said Trump and his new administration would bring.

That's broadly in line with how Trump has framed his Cabinet picks, as key movers who will upset the status quo and push fresh reform.

Rowan has kept a relatively low profile on his views about government policy, though he recently voiced concerns that the Fed could overstimulate the economy with interest rate cuts.

Scott Bessent

Bessent, 62, was one of the original frontrunners for Trump's Treasury Secretary.

His involvement emerged early last week when Reuters reported that the founder of macro investment firm Key Square Capital Management had been meeting with Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort.

Bessent worked for the liberal philanthropist George Soros from 1991 to 2015, making a name for himself by betting big against the British pound, which collapsed in 1992, and then against the Japanese yen as it weakened in 2013.

He left Soros' firm in 2015 to start Key Square, and The Journal reported that he hasn't spoken to the billionaire in years.

Bessent has been vocal in his support for Trump, telling Breitbart in August that Vice President Kamala Harris would have crashed the economy if she was president.

He wrote an opinion column just after the election, praising Trump for a stock market rally after his win and knocking 23 Nobel Prize-winning economists for predicting that the president-elect's agenda would be "counterproductive."

The investor laid out his ideas for the economy in his written piece, calling for the Trump administration to reduce government borrowing and to reform President Joe Biden's policies for investment in a "quixotic energy transition."

Bessent has advocated for an economy that's more reliant on tariffs and weaned off income tax, saying the move would restore America's position on the world stage and help curb China's growth.

However, The Journal reported that some conservatives in Trump's circle were concerned about Bessent's past experience working for Soros, who has attracted the ire of the MAGA base for his support of left-leaning causes.

Howard Lutnick — out of the running

The 63-year-old Cantor Fitzgerald CEO is Trump's pick to lead the Commerce Department.

In announcing Lutnick's nomination, the president-elect praised the financial services executive's work on shaping his transition. Lutnick has been serving as Trump's transition cochair with Linda McMahon, of WWE fame. He's been a friend of the president-elect for decades, repeatedly holding fundraisers for Trump.

"Howard has created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen," Trump said in a statement released by his transition team.

Lutnick has aligned himself closely with Trump's rhetoric. In late October, he expressed a vision for the US economy, describing America in the year 1900 to a crowd at Madison Square Garden, saying it was a time when the "economy was rocking."

"We had no income tax, and all we had was tariffs," he said to a cheering stadium.

As Commerce Secretary, Lutnick will play a big role in shaping Trump's tariff policies.

Update: November 19, 2024 — This story has been updated with Trump's choice of Howard Lutnick for Commerce Secretary.