The kindest man at Apollo passed away aged 51
Marc Becker, the former head of impact investing at private equity firm Apollo, will be much missed.
Becker, who died of pancreatic cancer aged just 51 was a "spectacular person," in the words of Joshua Black, son of Apollo co-founder Leon Black, and a partner in the financial institutions group at Apollo. "He is the person you want in your corner when things get rough or tough. And his ability to not only care but to know when to care, makes him a spectacular person a spectacular leader," said Black, speaking on a video made to honor Becker by the Park Avenue Synagogue in May.
Speaking on the same video, Alex Sloane, a former Apollo associate, said Becker pushed him to be better: "Better at work, better with my family, with my wife and my kids, better in my religious life and philanthropy.”
Friends and colleagues at the Synagogue, where Becker was chairman of the board, said he, "combined his incredible leadership with being a very humble person."
Becker spent nearly 28 years at the historically hard-driving Apollo after starting his career as an analyst at Smith Barney in 1996. He was promoted to run a new impact investing platform at Apollo in September 2020, an initiative that was allegedly initially derailed by accusations about Leon Black's links to Jeffrey Epstein.
As Apollo changes its culture to become a less ruthless and more wholesome employer under new CEO Marc Rowan, Becker's absence will be felt all the more keenly. Colleagues at the Synagogue say he was a, "force of nature," who was "really there for you as a friend, who cares deeply.”
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