It keeps getting worse for Leon Black.
Over the past week, Black’s giant investment firm, Apollo Global Management Inc., has confronted one question after another about his decades-long relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
First, his own board ordered an external review prompted by Black himself. Then a Pennsylvania pension fund paused new investments -- and the state of Connecticut has done the same. One major consultant -- a gatekeeper to $160 billion of investor commitments -- has urged clients to hold off, and another is considering taking similar action.
Clients who for years enjoyed some of the best returns on Wall Street are reconsidering their ties to Apollo amid renewed scrutiny over Epstein, spurred by a New York Times report earlier this month and given fresh attention from an unsealed deposition of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Investors distancing themselves from the firm show how serious the issue has become for Black and his general partners. Some clients aren’t convinced that the review, which will be handled by law firm Dechert LLP, will be enough to clear Black’s name, according to people familiar with the matter.
A freeze in new money could hurt Apollo at a time when it’s trying to raise $20 billion for several new funds. The pandemic-spurred turmoil in the credit markets is a prime investing opportunity for the firm, which is known for buying struggling businesses.
Apollo is seeking to take advantage of market dislocations as well as invest in private debt, people with knowledge of the matter said in April.
Black’s growing troubles reflect the changing politics of the investing world, where major funds have become more sensitive to environmental, social and governance matters. The new focus means that even the prospect of lucrative returns may not be enough of a lure in the midst of a scandal.
“While performance is always going to be an important factor, increasingly it’s not the only factor,” said Gerald O’Hara, an analyst at Jefferies Financial Group Inc. “In some respects, there’s some willingness to sacrifice performance for a company that’s run with good governance, good ethics.”
Investment adviser Aksia told clients not to give new money to Apollo, Bloomberg reported Friday, while Connecticut said it is halting new investments with the firm. Earlier in the week, the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System said it would stop making additional investments in Apollo for now, and consultant Cambridge Associates is considering not recommending the firm to its pension and endowment clients.