Josh Harris is a 61-year-old billionaire investor and sports mogul who owns the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Devils. Explore his career, net worth, and family.
Josh Harris is one of the most powerful figures in American sports and finance. Born in suburban Washington, D.C., he built a private equity empire that reshaped the industry, then turned his attention to professional sports — assembling one of the most valuable ownership portfolios in the history of American athletics. Today, as the managing partner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, he sits at the intersection of Wall Street and the sports world like almost no one else.
What makes Harris particularly compelling is the deliberate, long-game thinking that runs through everything he does. He didn’t stumble into sports ownership the way many billionaires do. He built toward it methodically, applying the same analytical rigor that made him a legend in private equity to the business of running franchises, developing venues, and creating lasting sports enterprises.
Quick Facts About Josh Harris
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joshua Jordan Harris |
| Date of birth | December 29, 1964 |
| Age (2026) | 61 years old |
| Birthplace | Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA |
| Profession | Investor, private equity executive, sports team owner |
| Net worth (2026) | Approximately $10–12 billion |
| Spouse | Marjorie Harris (married 1995) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Wharton School, UPenn (BS Economics, summa cum laude); Harvard Business School (MBA) |
| Famous for | Co-founding Apollo Global Management; owning the Washington Commanders, 76ers, and Devils |
Early Life and Roots in the Capital
Joshua Jordan Harris was born on December 29, 1964, in Chevy Chase, Maryland — a quiet, affluent suburb just outside Washington, D.C. Growing up near the capital gave him an early proximity to power and institutions, though his path to influence would run through Wall Street before circling back to his hometown roots. He attended The Field School in Washington, D.C., where he was a competitive athlete. Sports were a formative part of his upbringing, and he has cited wrestling in particular as the activity that most shaped his work ethic and competitive mindset.
Harris was drawn to finance from an early age, and his academic record reflected that seriousness. He earned a place at the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School of Business — one of the most selective undergraduate business programs in the world. He graduated summa cum laude in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, a distinction that signaled the kind of rigorous thinking that would define his career. He was also a member of Penn’s wrestling team, giving him a rare blend of intellectual and athletic discipline.
Education That Set the Foundation
After Wharton, Harris went directly to work at Drexel Burnham Lambert, a powerful investment bank in New York, joining their mergers and acquisitions division in 1986. The role gave him a front-row seat to some of the boldest — and most controversial — deals of the 1980s. Drexel’s collapse in 1990, amid one of the biggest financial scandals in U.S. history, was itself a formative lesson in risk and consequence.
Harris returned to academia during that period of upheaval, enrolling at Harvard Business School where he was named a Baker Loeb Scholar — one of the program’s highest academic honors. He graduated with his MBA in 1990, armed with both theoretical grounding and real-world scar tissue from his time at Drexel.
Co-Founding Apollo: Building a Private Equity Giant
Immediately after Harvard, Harris co-founded Apollo Global Management in 1990 alongside Leon Black, Marc Rowan, and Antony Ressler. The firm launched during a period of financial dislocation, and Harris and his partners recognized opportunity where others saw wreckage. Over the next three decades, Apollo grew into one of the largest alternative asset managers in the world, with over $500 billion in assets under management.
Harris was responsible for some of the firm’s most celebrated investments. The most notable was the LyondellBasell transaction — Apollo invested roughly $2 billion in 2008 during the chemical company’s bankruptcy, and sold for a profit of approximately $9.6 billion by 2013, making it one of the most successful private equity deals in history. That transaction alone cemented his reputation as one of the sharpest minds in the industry.
He stepped down from day-to-day responsibilities at Apollo in 2021, formally departing the board in 2022 after more than three decades of building the firm. His exit was not without friction — Apollo co-founder Leon Black later named Harris in a civil racketeering lawsuit, allegations that Harris denied. He moved on and founded 26North in 2022, a next-generation multi-asset alternatives platform that has already grown to approximately $28 billion in assets under management as of 2026.
Building a Sports Empire: HBSE and Beyond
Harris entered sports ownership in 2011 when he led an investment group — alongside business partner David Blitzer of Blackstone — that purchased the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers for $280 million. The 76ers were at a low point, but Harris and Blitzer famously embraced a long-term rebuilding process (later dubbed “The Process”) that transformed the franchise into a perennial playoff contender valued at over $4 billion today.
Two years later, in 2013, the pair added the NHL’s New Jersey Devils to their portfolio for $320 million. Together, Harris and Blitzer formalized their partnership as Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), which has grown into one of the most valuable sports and entertainment companies in the United States. HBSE operates the Prudential Center in Newark, the Wollman Rink in Central Park, and various minor league and entertainment properties.
The capstone came in July 2023, when Harris led a group — including billionaire Mitchell Rales and NBA legend Magic Johnson — that purchased the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder for a North American professional sports record of $6.05 billion. The purchase carried personal resonance; Harris grew up just outside Washington and described coming home to his region as part of his motivation. The Commanders’ turnaround under Harris has been swift and striking: from a 4-13 record the season before his acquisition to a 12-5 record in 2024-25 behind star quarterback Jayden Daniels, including deep playoff runs.
Beyond the NFL, NBA, and NHL, Harris holds stakes in English Premier League club Crystal Palace, a minority position in NASCAR team Joe Gibbs Racing, and through HBSE is also involved in Philadelphia’s incoming WNBA franchise. His sports portfolio is, by nearly any measure, unmatched among American owners.
Personal Life and Philanthropy
Harris married Marjorie Harris in 1995, and the couple has five children together. They maintain a notably low public profile for people of their stature, focusing their visibility on philanthropy rather than celebrity. In 2014, Josh and Marjorie co-founded Harris Philanthropies, a nonprofit organization focused on youth development through sports, health and wellness programs, and social equity initiatives.
Their philanthropic record is substantial. They donated $5 million to establish the Harris Family Fund for Sports Management and Alternative Investments at Harvard Business School, and contributed over $1 million to the University of Pennsylvania to promote diversity in medicine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris donated over $7 million in food and medical supplies. In 2025, Josh and Marjorie were named to the inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list, recognizing the 100 most influential philanthropists shaping the future of giving.
Net Worth and Financial Standing
As of 2026, Josh Harris’s net worth is estimated at approximately $10 to $12 billion, placing him among the wealthiest individuals in the United States and on Forbes’ annual Billionaires list. His wealth derives from his decades-long equity stake in Apollo Global Management, the appreciated value of his sports franchises, his new investment platform 26North, and various other financial holdings. The sports assets alone — the Commanders, 76ers, and Devils — represent billions in appreciated value since their original purchase prices, reflecting the extraordinary rise in professional sports franchise valuations over the past decade.
Legacy and Impact
Few figures in modern American business have managed to excel across two entirely different industries — alternative finance and professional sports — with the consistency that Harris has shown. He helped define modern private equity, built franchises that cities care deeply about, and has used his platform to invest meaningfully in the communities where his teams play.
What may ultimately define his legacy is the Commanders’ resurgence. Returning his boyhood team to relevance — and doing so almost immediately after taking ownership — has made him a beloved figure in a market that desperately needed something to believe in. The finance world already knew what Josh Harris was capable of. The sports world is just catching up.
People Also Ask
How did Josh Harris make his money?
Harris built his fortune primarily through co-founding Apollo Global Management in 1990, one of the world’s largest private equity and alternative asset management firms. A stake in the company, combined with decades of highly profitable deals — including the landmark LyondellBasell investment — generated the bulk of his multi-billion dollar net worth. His sports franchises have also appreciated dramatically in value since acquisition.
What sports teams does Josh Harris own?
Harris is the managing partner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, all through his sports entity Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. He also holds a stake in English Premier League club Crystal Palace, a minority interest in Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR, and is involved in Philadelphia’s incoming WNBA franchise.
When did Josh Harris buy the Washington Commanders?
Harris completed the purchase of the Washington Commanders in July 2023 for a record $6.05 billion — the highest price ever paid for a North American professional sports franchise at that time. The sale transferred ownership from longtime owner Dan Snyder to a Harris-led group that included billionaire Mitchell Rales and Magic Johnson.
Who is Josh Harris married to?
Harris married Marjorie Harris in 1995. Together they have five children and co-founded Harris Philanthropies in 2014, which focuses on youth development, health initiatives, and social equity programs in the communities where their teams play.
What is 26North?
26North is the alternative investment firm Harris founded in 2022 after departing Apollo Global Management, where he had spent over three decades. The platform focuses on private equity, credit, and insurance solutions and had grown to approximately $28 billion in assets under management as of 2026.
