Photo credit: Ares
If you’re charged with growing a company via financial expansion, then you probably know all you need about the private-credit boom. If you don’t, then know it’s a current financial shift that’s reshaping how companies borrow money. And as co-founder, CEO, and president of Ares Management, Michael Arougheti is right in the middle of it. He’s overseeing a global investment platform with hundreds of billions under management, and that capital is fueling everything from corporate buyouts to heavyweight real-estate deals.
In 2025, companies looking for faster, more flexible financing jumped on private credit as a happy alternative to banks, which most of them felt had pulled back too much. You may agree, or you may be more bearish and believe that private credit is too opaque and therefore dangerous. Regardless, Arougheti is one of the key architects of this shift. That means when Ares decides to deploy or withhold capital, entire sectors feel it, and everyone takes a brief pause to evaluate.
He’s also influential because he’s a trusted voice on the economy. Policymakers, CEOs, and investors pay attention when he talks about interest rates, credit conditions, or market risk. His mix of scale, strategy, and credibility makes him a major player in how global capital moves this year.
