Fortress Investment Group is a global investment firm that was founded in 1998 by three partners: Randal Nardone, Wesley Edens, and Rob Kauffman. The firm is headquartered in New York City and has additional offices in Asia and Europe. Fortress is known for its expertise in alternative investments, including private equity, credit, and real estate. The firm has a diversified portfolio of investments and manages assets on behalf of institutional and private investors.
Fortress Investment Group has grown rapidly since its inception, thanks to its experienced leadership and strong track record of delivering returns to investors. The firm's early focus on distressed debt and value investing helped it weather the economic downturn of the early 2000s and emerge as a major player in the private equity space. In 2007, Fortress became the first private equity firm to go public, listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The IPO was a success, with Fortress raising $634 million and its shares rising more than 60% on their first day of trading.
Today, Fortress is one of the largest alternative investment firms in the world, with over $53 billion in assets under management as of 2021. The firm has a diversified portfolio of investments across various sectors, including real estate, transportation, infrastructure, energy, and gaming. Fortress has a team of over 900 professionals, including investment professionals, analysts, and support staff, who work to identify and execute investment opportunities.
One of Fortress's key strengths is its ability to identify and invest in distressed assets. The firm's experience in distressed debt and value investing has allowed it to capitalize on market dislocations and generate outsized returns for investors. In recent years, Fortress has focused on expanding its credit business, which includes a range of credit strategies such as private credit, distressed credit, and direct lending. The credit business has been a significant contributor to Fortress's growth, with assets under management in the credit segment growing from $2.7 billion in 2013 to $17.7 billion in 2021.
In addition to its credit business, Fortress has a strong presence in the real estate sector. The firm's real estate business manages a portfolio of investments in commercial and residential properties, as well as debt investments in real estate-related assets. Fortress's real estate investments span the globe, with holdings in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The firm has been particularly active in the development of large-scale infrastructure projects, including the Brightline passenger rail service in Florida and the Gateway Tunnel project in New York and New Jersey.
Fortress is also a major player in the gaming industry, with a portfolio of investments that includes casinos and other gaming-related assets. The firm's gaming investments are managed by its subsidiary, Fortress Gaming Investments, which specializes in the acquisition and management of gaming properties. Fortress Gaming Investments has been particularly active in the Asian gaming market, with investments in casinos in Macau, the Philippines, and South Korea.
In addition to its investment activities, Fortress has been involved in a number of high-profile transactions and partnerships. In 2017, the firm was acquired by SoftBank Group, a Japanese technology conglomerate, in a $3.3 billion deal. The acquisition gave SoftBank access to Fortress's alternative investment expertise and expanded its presence in the financial services sector. As part of the deal, Fortress agreed to operate as an independent business within SoftBank and retain its existing management team.
Fortress has also formed partnerships with a number of leading companies in various industries. In 2014, the firm partnered with IBM to create a joint venture focused on developing cloud-based software for the financial services industry. The venture, known as FortressIQ, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate financial processes and improve operational efficiency. More recently, in 2021, Fortress partnered with Weyerha
