Early Life and Education
Bruce A. Karsh was born on October 10, 1955, in St. Louis, Missouri, to a Jewish family. He graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1974. In 1977, Karsh earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, summa cum laude, from Duke University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He then went on to earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1980, where he received the Order of the Coif and served as notes editor for the Virginia Law Review.
Rise to Success
After law school, Karsh served as an appellate clerk to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. He worked at O'Melveny & Myers as an attorney and later served as an assistant to billionaire Eli Broad at SunAmerica. In 1987, he was hired by Howard Marks to manage distressed debt at TCW Group. In April 1995, Karsh co-founded Oaktree Capital Management with Howard Marks, focusing on distressed debt and other opportunistic strategies. He is currently the Co-Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Oaktree.
Key Business Strategies
Karsh's investment approach centers around value-oriented investing, particularly in distressed debt and corporate debt. Oaktree Capital Management specializes in alternative investments, including credit strategies, private equity, and real estate. The firm has grown to manage over $190 billion in assets as of 2024, with two-thirds invested in corporate or distressed debt. This disciplined approach has allowed Oaktree to thrive through various economic cycles.
Philanthropy
Bruce Karsh and his wife, Martha, founded the Karsh Family Foundation in 1998, which has donated over $340 million to education, community initiatives, and democracy-related causes. They have established major scholarship programs at Duke University, the University of Virginia School of Law, and Howard University. The Karshes launched the Karsh Social Service Center in Los Angeles, providing various services to the multicultural community.