History of Leon Black in Timeline

Leon David Black is an American private equity investor and co-founder of Apollo Global Management. He served as CEO of Apollo and chairman of the Museum of Modern Art. Black resigned from both positions following scrutiny over his financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein, including payments totaling $158 million, and allegations of sexual misconduct.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1921: Birth of Eli M. Black

In 1921, Eli M. Black, Leon Black's father, was born. He later became a businessman and chairman of United Brands Company.

July 31, 1951: Leon David Black Born

On July 31, 1951, Leon David Black was born. He later became an American private equity investor and the co-founder of Apollo Global Management.

1973: Graduated with AB in philosophy and history

In 1973, Leon Black received an AB degree in philosophy and history from Dartmouth College.

1975: MBA from Harvard Business School

In 1975, Leon Black received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

1975: Death of Eli M. Black

In 1975, Leon Black's father, Eli M. Black, died by suicide at the age of 53.

1976: Debra Ressler graduated from Barnard College

In 1976, Debra Ressler, who would later become Leon Black's wife, graduated from Barnard College.

1977: Employed by Drexel Burnham Lambert

From 1977, Leon Black was employed by investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert, where he rose to managing director and head of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group.

1990: Co-founded Apollo Global Management

In 1990, Leon Black co-founded Apollo Global Management with Marc Rowan and Josh Harris.

1990: Left Drexel Burnham Lambert

In 1990, Leon Black left Drexel Burnham Lambert.

1997: Epstein as Trustee

In 1997, Leon Black made Jeffrey Epstein one of the original trustees of what is today the Debra and Leon Black Foundation.

2002: Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College

From 2002, Leon Black served on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College.

2002: Accusation of Rape

In 2002, Cheri Pierson accused Leon Black of raping her in Jeffrey Epstein's mansion in New York City. This accusation was part of a lawsuit that was later discontinued in 2024.

2007: Donation to Melanoma Research Alliance

In 2007, Leon Black and his wife, Debra Ressler, donated $25 million to form the new Melanoma Research Alliance.

2009: Settlement with Huntsman Corporation

In 2009, Leon Black contributed $60 million in a settlement with Huntsman Corporation after Apollo was sued for backing out of a merger the previous year.

2011: End of term on Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College

In 2011, Leon Black's term on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College came to an end.

May 2012: Purchase of The Scream

In May 2012, Leon Black purchased one of the four versions of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" for $119.9 million.

September 2012: MoMA Exhibition Announcement

In September 2012, the Museum of Modern Art announced that Edvard Munch's "The Scream", owned by Leon Black, would be exhibited for six months starting in October.

2012: Acquisition of Phaidon Press

In 2012, Leon Black acquired Phaidon Press, a fine art books publishing house.

2012: Donation to Dartmouth College

In 2012, Leon Black donated US$48 million towards a new visual arts center at Dartmouth College.

2012: Payments to Epstein Started

In 2012, Leon Black started paying Jeffrey Epstein around $158 million for financial services. These payments would continue for the next 5 years.

June 2013: Purchase of Head of a Young Apostle

In June 2013, it was revealed that Leon Black had purchased "Head of a Young Apostle", a work by Raphael, for £29 million.

December 22, 2015: Purchase of Babylonian Talmud

On December 22, 2015, it was reported that Leon Black purchased at auction a complete set of the Daniel Bomberg Babylonian Talmud for $9.3 million.

June 2016: Settlement of Picasso Sculpture Lawsuit

In June 2016, a lawsuit over the Picasso sculpture "Bust of a Woman (Marie-Thérèse)" was settled, with Leon Black acquiring the sculpture.

2017: Payments to Epstein ended

In 2017, Leon Black's payments to Jeffrey Epstein for complex tax-related transactions ended.

July 1, 2018: Elected chairman of The Museum of Modern Art

On July 1, 2018, Leon Black was elected chairman of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, with his term commencing on that day.

2018: Chairman of the Museum of Modern Art

In 2018, Leon Black became the chairman of the Museum of Modern Art.

2019: Maintained a "limited relationship" with Epstein

In 2019, Leon Black stated that he maintained a "limited relationship" with Jeffrey Epstein.

October 2020: Independent Review of Epstein Relationship

In October 2020, Leon Black requested that the Apollo board conduct an independent review of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, retaining Dechert LLP to do so.

January 25, 2021: Release of Dechert LLP Review

On January 25, 2021, the review conducted by Dechert LLP was released, revealing that Leon Black had paid Jeffrey Epstein around $158 million from 2012 through 2017 for financial services.

March 2021: Guzel Ganieva's Allegations

In March 2021, Guzel Ganieva claimed on Twitter that she was sexually harassed and abused by Leon Black and forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

July 1, 2021: End of term as chairman of MoMA

On July 1, 2021, Leon Black's term as chairman of the Museum of Modern Art ended, and he did not seek re-election amidst protests.

2021: Resignation from Apollo and MoMA

In 2021, Leon Black resigned from both Apollo Global Management and the Museum of Modern Art following allegations of sexual misconduct and revelations about payments to Jeffrey Epstein.

2021: Stepped down as CEO and chairman

In 2021, Leon Black stepped down as CEO and chairman of Apollo Global Management after a report revealed payments to Jeffrey Epstein.

2022: RICO Lawsuit against Josh Harris

In 2022, Leon Black included Josh Harris in a civil RICO lawsuit, alleging a scheme to tarnish his reputation after his ties to Epstein were reported.

May 2023: Ganieva's Lawsuit Dismissed

In May 2023, Guzel Ganieva's lawsuit against Leon Black was dismissed.

July 2023: Senate Finance Committee Investigation

In July 2023, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee made public that it was investigating Leon Black's tax strategies and dealings with Jeffrey Epstein.

July 25, 2023: Lawsuit Alleging Rape of a Minor

On July 25, 2023, a lawsuit was filed against Leon Black, alleging that he raped a 16-year-old girl with autism and Down syndrome in Epstein's Manhattan townhouse in 2002.

2023: RICO Lawsuit Dismissal Upheld

In 2023, an appeals court upheld the dismissal of Leon Black's RICO lawsuit against Josh Harris for lack of evidence.

February 2024: Pierson Lawsuit Discontinued

In February 2024, Cheri Pierson discontinued her lawsuit against Leon Black.

July 2025: Wyden Calls for IRS Investigation

In July 2025, Senator Ron Wyden called on the Internal Revenue Service to investigate potential tax evasion performed by Jeffrey Epstein for Leon Black.