Leon Black
Apollo Co-Founder & Financier
Background
Leon D. Black (born 1951) is an American private-equity executive and co-founder of Apollo Global Management. Black's documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein became a major subject of public and legal scrutiny after Epstein's 2019 arrest and death. In 2021, a board-commissioned review by Dechert LLP reported that Black paid Epstein approximately $158 million for tax and estate-planning services between 2012 and 2017; Black said he regretted the relationship and stepped down as Apollo's chief executive in March 2021.
Since 2023, Black has also appeared in U.S. Virgin Islands and bank-related civil litigation connected to Epstein's finances and trafficking network. In January 2023, Black reached a $62.5 million settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands to resolve claims related to that civil investigation while denying liability. In ongoing civil matters, parties have made additional allegations about Black's conduct; Black has denied wrongdoing, has not been criminally charged in the Epstein case, and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Key Facts
- Co-founded Apollo Global Management and served for years as its CEO and chairman
- Was reported by a 2021 Dechert review to have paid Epstein about $158 million for financial and estate-planning work
- Resigned as Apollo CEO in March 2021 following scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein
- Reached a $62.5 million civil settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 2023 while denying liability
- Has been identified in civil filings tied to Epstein-related banking and trafficking-finance litigation
- Has publicly denied wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged in connection with Epstein
Connection to Documents
Leon Black appears in the archive through financial and court-filing materials tied to Epstein-linked civil litigation, including U.S. Virgin Islands proceedings and related banking-case records. He is also connected through media-coverage items that track the Dechert review, Apollo governance fallout, and later deposition-related filings in active civil cases.
Related Document Categories
Related Documents in Archive(1)
Disclaimer: All information in this profile is sourced from publicly available court records, government FOIA releases, and credible news reporting. This is informational content. Inclusion or mention of any individual does not imply wrongdoing. All persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.