Great to have you back with us on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast!
Recently, I had the pleasure of catching up with Marc Lipschultz, the Co-CEO of Blue Owl, during their Nest Network Summit for RIAs and private banks in the beautiful setting of Laguna Beach.
This venue provided a wonderful backdrop for our discussion about Blue Owl’s remarkable journey. Their success can largely be attributed to their distinct and targeted collaboration with the wealth channel.
[You can catch our conversation on Apple Podcasts and Transistor.]
Blue Owl stands as a giant in the realm of alternative asset management, carving a path of impressive growth over the past nine years. Today, they manage over $250 billion in assets, and their ability to mobilize capital from the wealth channel is second to none.
Marc brings with him a wealth of experience from the private markets arena. Not only has he played a pivotal role at KKR for over 20 years, eventually becoming the Global Head of Energy and Infrastructure, but he also teamed up with industry stalwarts like Doug Ostrover of Blackstone GSO and Craig Packer from Goldman Sachs. This collaboration laid the foundation for Owl Rock Capital Partners, which later evolved into Blue Owl’s Credit division. The union of Owl Rock and Dyal Capital Partners in May 2021 gave birth to the publicly traded entity we now know as Blue Owl. Their astounding growth to over $250 billion in assets under management, coupled with $2.2 billion in revenue, is a testament to their strategic vision and execution.
The evolution of Owl Rock into Blue Owl is a perfect illustration of how alternative asset managers are navigating the changing landscape. My conversation with Marc was deeply insightful as we delved into several key topics:
- The trajectory of Blue Owl’s growth and its reflection on broader trends in alternative asset management.
- The necessity and advantages of scale in this sector.
- Their strategic focus areas, including private credit, data centers, and digital transformation.
- Their commitment to serving private wealth clients.
- The compelling role of permanent capital in their business model.
A hearty thank you to Marc for sharing his extensive insights and experience in private markets on our show.
For more, you can check out a recent Q&A with Marc on AGM, shedding further light on the themes we discussed. Many of these themes are also explored in-depth in Blue Owl’s 2025 Market Outlook, which spans Credit, Real Estate, and GP Strategic Capital. Their teams share critical insights into how they expect these sectors to evolve in the coming years.
[Explore Blue Owl’s 2025 Market Outlook here.]
In our session, we covered:
- Blue Owl’s foundational strategy to offer equal access to institutional opportunities.
- Their focus on collaboration with clients leading to opportunities in Credit, Real Assets, and GP Stakes.
- The rationale behind acquiring IPI and integrating it into the Blue Owl umbrella.
Show Highlights:
- Introduction to the podcast.
- Insights into Blue Owl’s remarkable journey and achievements.
- Marc’s impressive career trajectory and milestones.
- The significance of having a wealth management focus.
- Reflections on Marc’s early days at KKR and the formation of Blue Owl.
- The impact of culture on growth and success.
- Operational strategies and their emphasis on serving the wealth channel.
- The democratization of alternative investments.
- Strategies for building a firm catered to individual investors.
- Uniting wealth platforms while balancing comprehensive and bespoke offerings.
- Brand building, strategic scale, and understanding market dynamics.
- Perspectives on private versus public financing methods.
- The strategic advantage offered by permanent capital.
- Lessons from sports leadership applicable to business success.
Editing and post-production for this episode was skillfully handled by The Podcast Consultant.
Thank you for tuning in!
