Joshua Jordan Harris (born in December 1964) is an American investor, sports club owner, and philanthropist. He co-founded Apollo Global Management and serves as a managing partner for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, and the NFL’s Washington Commanders. Harris is also a general partner of Crystal Palace, an English football club, and owns a minority position in Joe Gibbs Racing. He has an estimated net worth of $9 billion.
Harris was born and reared in Chevy Chase, MD. He earned an economics degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1986 before going on to acquire an MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS), during which he worked for two years at the former investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert. He co-founded Apollo with Leon Black and Marc Rowan in 1990 and helped run its day-to-day operations until quitting in 2022 to focus on sports investments, which he frequently does in collaboration with David Blitzer.
Harris led the investing groups who purchased the 76ers in 2011, the Devils and the Prudential Center in 2013, and the Commanders and Commanders Field in 2023. He also created Harris Philanthropies in 2014, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment with Blitzer in 2017, and 26North, an alternative asset firm, in 2022. Harris is on the boards of Mount Sinai Health System, Wharton, and HBS, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and was previously treasurer of the Allen-Stevenson School.
In July, an investment group led by Josh Harris, the wealthy owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, agreed to buy the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder for an NFL record $6 billion. Harris reached the 100-day milestone of his NFL ownership at the end of October, following a three-month period in which he focused on rebuilding trust and increasing community participation. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest addition to the ultra-elite club of NFL owners.
Who else owns the Washington Commanders? Harris, local millionaire Mitchell Rales, Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson, and Blitzer joined together to buy the Commanders for an NFL record $6 billion. Harris’ ownership group also includes Washington Open chairman Mark Ein, Los Angeles Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman, Maverick Capital managing partner Lee Ainslie, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Blue Owl Capital co-CEO Marc Lipschultz, and the Santo Domingo family.
Harris also owns a minority ownership in NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing; Gibbs, a former Washington coach, has been brought on as an unofficial counselor to Harris and other Commanders’ senior leadership members.
