History of Blue Owl Capital in Timeline

Blue Owl Capital Inc. is a publicly traded (NYSE: OWL) alternative investment asset management company headquartered in New York City. It maintains a global presence with offices in locations such as London, Dubai, and Hong Kong.

2011: Dyal Capital Formation

In 2011, Dyal Capital was formed by Michael Rees. The firm focused on providing financing to hedge funds and private equity firms through the acquisition of minority interests.

2016: Owl Rock Capital Group Founded

In 2016, Owl Rock Capital Group was founded as a middle market private credit direct lending firm specializing in credit investments.

December 2020: Merger Announcement

In December 2020, Dyal Capital Partners and Owl Rock announced a merger. They combined with Altimar Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company, to form Blue Owl.

May 2021: Blue Owl Listed on NYSE

In May 2021, the transaction was completed, and Blue Owl was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The deal was valued at $12.2 billion, including a $1.5 billion commitment from investors like ICONIQ Capital, Federated Hermes, and Liberty Mutual.

October 2021: Acquisition of Oak Street

In October 2021, Blue Owl acquired Oak Street, a private equity real estate firm, for $950 million.

December 2021: Acquisition of Ascentium Group

In December 2021, Blue Owl acquired Ascentium Group, a business development office based in Hong Kong, as part of its expansion plans in Asia.

October 2022: Office Expansion

In October 2022, Bloomberg reported that Blue Owl intended to expand its offices in Greenwich, Connecticut, and had opened an office in New Jersey.

July 2024: Agreement to Purchase Atalaya Capital Management

In July 2024, Blue Owl entered into an agreement to purchase a private credit firm, Atalaya Capital Management.

October 2025: Joint Venture with Meta Platforms

In October 2025, Meta Platforms, Inc. formed a $27 Billion joint venture with Blue Owl for the development of the Hyperion data center for AI in Richland Parish, Louisiana.

November 2025: Merger Agreement Announced and Called Off

In November 2025, Blue Owl announced an agreement for merging its private fund Blue Owl Capital Corporation II ("OBDC II"), but later called off the merger after facing revolt from investors and a falling stock price.

February 2026: Investor Withdrawal Restrictions and Asset Sale

In February 2026, Blue Owl announced it would permanently restrict investor withdrawals from its primary private retail debt fund, Blue Owl Capital Corp II. Simultaneously, the firm sold 30% of its credit assets, amounting to $1.4 billion, to maintain liquidity for its investors.