Early Life and Education
Michael Arougheti was born in the New York area and raised in New City, a suburb about an hour north of New York City. His parents were both educators, which instilled in him a strong emphasis on education, hard work, and service. Arougheti's family was close-knit, fostering intellectual curiosity and a strong work ethic. He graduated cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in Ethics, Politics and Economics.
Rise to Success
Arougheti's professional journey began in the mergers and acquisitions group at Kidder, Peabody & Co. He later held roles at Indosuez Capital and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). In 2004, he joined Ares Management, where he played a key role in developing its private credit business. Arougheti became CEO of Ares in 2018 and has led the company through a period of significant expansion. Under his leadership, Ares has increased assets under management, raised record capital, and diversified into new areas.
Key Business Strategies
Arougheti's leadership at Ares emphasizes disciplined credit underwriting, diversification, and innovation. Ares's success is attributed to a focus on providing steady returns. The firm has grown to over $600 billion in assets under management (AUM) with expertise in credit, private equity, real estate, and infrastructure, providing solutions to institutional and high-net-worth clients.
Philanthropy
Arougheti serves on the board of directors of Operation HOPE, a non-profit focused on expanding economic opportunity in underserved communities. He is also involved with the Ares Charitable Foundation and the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.