Harris earned a degree in economics from theWharton School at theUniversity of Pennsylvania in 1986 and anMBA fromHarvard Business School (HBS) in 1990, forming Apollo withLeon Black andMarc Rowan following graduation. He headed independent groups that acquired the 76ers in 2011, the Devils in 2013, and the Commanders in 2023. Other companies founded include Harris Philanthropies in 2014 and thealternative assets firm 26North in 2022. Harris has an estimatednet worth of$10billion as of 2025[update].
Harris met withJared Kushner, a senior advisor in thefirst Trump administration, throughout 2017 to advise with infrastructure policy. A potentialWhite House job was dicussued prior to agreeing to loan$184million to Kushner's private real estate firmKushner Companies through Apollo.[14] In May 2021, he announced he was stepping down from his day-to-day responsibilities at Apollo after being passed over as CEO for Marc Rowan, with his large personal focus on sports investments also reportedly becoming a source of tension within the company.[15] The position had been made available after Leon Black announced he would be stepping down due to an investigation finding he had paid$158million to convicted sex offenderJeffrey Epstein between 2012 and 2017 for advice on taxes and estate planning.[16] He stepped down as senior managing director at Apollo in January 2022 and remained on theirboard of directors until his term ended in October.[15][17] Black included Harris in a civilracketeering lawsuit the same year, alleging that he led a group within Apollo attempting to tarnish his reputation after his ties to Epstein were reported.[18] Harris denied the claims, with federal judgePaul Engelmayer dismissing the suit that June for lack of evidence.[19] Black would appeal before a court upheld the decision in March 2023.[18]Harris founded thealternative asset firm 26North in September 2022, hiring formerBrookfield Asset Management,Lehman Brothers, andGoldman Sachs executives as partners.[20] The firm offersdirect lending and invests primarily in private equity, credit, and insurance companies, holding$25billion inassets under management as of January 2025[update].[20][21]
Harris began contemplating investing in sports after meeting senior Blackstone executiveDavid Blitzer while working in London in 2008.[31][32] Those talks led to the pair forming an investment group that, in October 2011, acquired thePhiladelphia 76ers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA) fromComcast Spectacor for$280million.[33] Harris presided over an era in 76ers history known as "The Process", in which the teamtanked for improvedNBA draft lottery odds.[34][35] The Process was unpopular with other team owners and league executives, who lobbied NBA commissionerAdam Silver to step in due to the 76ers' poor performance affecting leaguewiderevenue sharing.[36][37] Harris would eventually agree to a suggestion by Silver to hire formerPhoenix Suns ownerJerry Colangelo as team chairman in December 2015, with Hinkie stepping down in April 2016.[36][38]Joel Embiid, the 2022–23NBA Most Valuable Player, was among the players taken during the era.[39][40] The 76ers were valued at$4.6billion in 2024.[41]
In August 2013, Harris and Blitzer acquired theNew Jersey Devils of theNational Hockey League (NHL) fromJeff Vanderbeek for$320million.[42] The deal included operating rights to their home venue, thePrudential Center. The Devils were valued at$2.1billion in 2024, with the Prudential Center ranked among the highest-grossing arenas globally.[43][44] He purchased an 18% stake in the English football clubCrystal Palace in December 2015, which is operated as ageneral partnership consisting of himself, Blitzer,John Textor, and club chairmanSteve Parish.[45][46] In September 2016, Harris and Blitzer acquired theesports organizationsDignitas andApex Gaming through the 76ers and merged them under the Dignitas brand.[47]
In June 2023, he acquired a minority stake inJoe Gibbs Racing by way of HBSE.[57] The following month, Harris and a 20-member group includingDanaher andGlenstone founderMitchell Rales, Hall of Fame basketball player and entrepreneurMagic Johnson, and venture capitalistMark Ein as limited partners, acquired the NFL'sWashington Commanders andNorthwest Stadium fromDaniel Snyder for$6.05billion, the highest price paid for a sports team at the time.[58][59][60] Harris and Johnson had previously bid on the NFL'sDenver Broncos in 2022 before it was sold to a group headed byWalmart executivesRob Walton andGreg Penner.[61][62] In early 2024, the pair sold their stake in the Steelers toArt Rooney II andThomas Tull as NFL rules mandate a majority owner can not hold stake in another team.[63] Harris and Blitzer have also invested in youth sports brands, forming Unrivaled Sports as a parent company in March 2024 with capital fromThe Chernin Group.[64][65] In June 2025, Harris through HBSE was awarded a $250 million bid for aPhiladelphia WNBA team to begin play in 2030.[66][67]
Harris employsgeneral managers to operate his teams and venues.[8][40] He valuessports science andanalytics, with 76ers president of basketball operationsDaryl Morey being a leading proponent of the field.[68][69] In March 2020, Harris and Blitzer committed to payPrudential Center employees for any canceled events due to the outbreak of theCOVID-19 pandemic, which saw the NBA and NHL suspend operations for much of the year.[70] He introduced plans to reduce salaries of HBSE, 76ers, and Devils employees making over $100,000 by 20% the same month but reversed the decision after receiving public criticism, including an effort by 76ers playerJoel Embiid to cover the losses of those affected.[71][72]
In July 2022, Harris announced plans for a$1.3billion arena,76 Place at Market East, to be built for the 76ers in theCenter City neighborhood of Philadelphia.[73] The proposal faced opposition from the public, especially among residents of the nearbyChinatown neighborhood who feared it would negatively affect the area economically.[74] Despite being approved, plans for it were abandoned in January 2025 after a deal was announced withComcast Spectacor to build and co-operateNew South Philadelphia Arena on theSouth Philadelphia Sports Complex, which is expected to open for the 76ers and the NHL'sPhiladelphia Flyers in 2031.[75] In April 2025, Harris and D.C. mayorMuriel Bowser announced a$3.7billion redevelopment project for the formerRFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C., including a new$2.7billion stadium to serve as the Commanders' home venue upon its scheduled opening in 2030.[76]
Harris' paternal and maternal grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Russian territories in the early 20th century.[77] His father Jacob was anorthodontist and his mother Sylvia was a schoolteacher; he has a younger brother named Gabe.[8][78] Harris isJewish and practicesReform Judaism, having hisbar mitzvah in 1977 at theWashington Hebrew Congregation.[77] He spent three weeks working inYahel, a Reformkibbutz in Israel, on aNFTY-sponsored trip in high school.[77] He marriedMarjorie Harris (née Rubin) in 1995.[10][79] The couple met at Harvard and have three sons and two daughters together: Hannah,Stuart, Thomas, Pierce, and Bridget.[80][81] Harris and businessmanMark Ein have been close friends since elementary school; they later attended Wharton and Harvard together and shared beach houses onLong Island during their time onWall Street.[3][32]
Harris was inducted intoKappa Beta Phi, a Wall Street fraternity, in 2011.[89] In November 2017, he purchased the Dommerich Mansion, a 21,000-square-foot townhouse on theUpper East Side ofManhattan for$52million.[90] In July 2021, he purchased a 9,100-square-foot mansion inMiami Beach fromMarcelo Claure for$32million.[91] Harris frequently uses private helicopters to attend games. Due to a scheduling error, he once caused the cancellation of a youth soccer match being held at Newark'sSt. Benedict's Preparatory School, as the field is sometimes used as ahelipad.[92] Hisnet worth was estimated in June 2025 to be$9.8billion byForbes and$11.7billion by theBloomberg Billionaires Index.[93][94] He held $2.54 billion in Apollo shares as of June 2023[update].[95]
Harris and his wife founded Harris Philanthropies, a nonprofit organization based in New York City, in 2014.[96][97] He established the$5million Harris Center for Precision Wellness at New York'sIcahn Genomics Institute in 2015.[98] Between 2015 and 2020, Harris donated a total of$3.5million to the PhiladelphiaPolice Athletic League chapter,$648,000 to theRepublican Party, and$190,000 to theDemocratic Party.[99][100] He has been partnered withAfter-School All-Stars since 2016, providing a$1million grant for six schools in Newark, Philadelphia, and Camden.[101] Harris has also supported the University of Pennsylvania with several donations and sponsorships, including$1million to the Penn Quakers wrestling program, the Harris Family Endowed Scholarship program for undergraduate students from the Washington, D.C., area, and the$10million Harris Family Alternative Investments program.[7][102] He has also participated in forums and panels hosted by organizations such as theMilken Institute, theMIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and theEconomic Club of Washington, D.C.[103][104][105]
Harris has contributed to socioeconomic programs inIsrael through sports, founding a youth basketball league known as the 48ers and funding a project integratingEthiopian Jews in the country.[106][107] During theCOVID-19 pandemic, he donated over$7million worth of food and medical supplies to various Philadelphia-based groups and organizations.[108][109][110] Harris through HBSE committed$20million to fightracial injustice in wake of the 2020George Floyd protests.[111] He donated$2million the same year toThe Bridgespan Group to expand their nonprofit programs in Philadelphia and Camden.[96] In 2022, he established the$5million Harris Family Fund for Sports Management and Alternative Investments program at Harvard Business School,[112] and donating to theReform Alliance,[113] several Philadelphia-areahomeless shelters,[114] and mobile cancer clinics to theUniversity of Miami Miller School of Medicine.[115] The same year, Harris donated$1million to Fund for Health, a collaborationhealth equity fund by Penn Med and Wharton, with another million to Penn Med to promote student diversity in clinical medicine and biomedical research.[116][117] In 2025, he donated$5million for the construction of an athletic training center atThe Field School, his alma mater.[118]
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