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Howard Marks
United States
Net Worth
$2.2B
Source of Wealth
Oaktree Capital Management
Global Rank
#115 of 157
About Howard Marks
Howard Marks is the co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, one of the world's largest and most successful distressed debt investment firms managing over $190 billion in assets. Born in New York City, Marks studied finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he was influenced by the efficient market theories that he would later spend his career challenging.
Marks began his career at Citicorp in 1969, eventually running the bank's high-yield bond and distressed debt investing operations. After a brief stint at Trust Company of the West, he co-founded Oaktree Capital in 1995 with Bruce Karsh and several colleagues, building it into the preeminent distressed debt investor in the world. Oaktree's philosophy is straightforward but extraordinarily difficult to execute: buy quality assets when others are forced to sell, and exercise caution when others are greedy.
What truly distinguishes Marks in the investment world is his writing. His investor memos, which he has published since 1990, are considered essential reading by investors worldwide — Warren Buffett has said "When I see memos from Howard Marks in my mail, they're the first thing I open and read." These memos, compiled into his bestselling books "The Most Important Thing" (2011) and "Mastering the Market Cycle" (2018), offer some of the most sophisticated thinking ever published on risk, market psychology, and the discipline required for superior long-term returns. Marks is widely regarded as one of the greatest investors and investment thinkers of his generation.
Key Achievements
Built Oaktree into a $190B+ Firm
Co-founded Oaktree Capital Management in 1995 and grew it into the world's largest distressed debt investor, managing over $190 billion and delivering consistently superior risk-adjusted returns for three decades.
Wrote the Definitive Guide to Risk
Authored 'The Most Important Thing' and 'Mastering the Market Cycle,' two of the most influential investment books of the 21st century, which are required reading at top business schools and hedge funds worldwide.
Created the Most-Read Investor Memos
Published investor memos since 1990 that Warren Buffett called 'the first thing I open and read' — establishing a public body of investment thought that rivals any in the history of finance.
Mastered Distressed Debt Investing
Pioneered institutional-scale distressed debt investing, buying quality assets at deep discounts during every major crisis from the early 1990s recession through the 2008 financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic.
Deployed $7.5 Billion in 2008
Invested $7.5 billion during the 2008 financial crisis in a single 15-week period — the largest deployment of capital in Oaktree's history — generating enormous returns as distressed assets recovered.
Notable Quotes
“The biggest investing errors come not from factors that are informational or analytical, but from those that are psychological.”
— Howard Marks
“There are two kinds of people who lose money: those who know nothing and those who know everything.”
— Howard Marks
“Rule number one: most things will prove to be cyclical. Rule number two: some of the greatest opportunities for gain and loss come when other people forget rule number one.”
— Howard Marks
“Risk means more things can happen than will happen.”
— Howard Marks
“You can't predict. You can prepare.”
— Howard Marks
Key Decisions
Pioneered high-yield bond investing at Citicorp, recognizing that the risk-return profile of below-investment-grade debt was systematically mispriced by institutional investors.
Began writing his investor memos, creating a discipline of articulating investment philosophy in real time that would become his most enduring contribution to finance.
Co-founded Oaktree Capital Management with Bruce Karsh and four other partners, establishing the firm's foundation on the principle that risk control is more important than return generation.
Deployed $7.5 billion into distressed assets during the financial crisis in just 15 weeks, acting on decades of preparation for exactly such a moment of maximum fear and forced selling.
Published 'The Most Important Thing,' distilling decades of investment wisdom into a framework that has influenced a generation of investors and become a cornerstone of investment education.
Deep Dives
Go deeper into what makes Howard Marks exceptional.
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