Apollo: Connoisseurs of Complexity - [Business Breakdowns, REPLAY]

Apollo: Connoisseurs of Complexity - [Business Breakdowns, REPLAY]

From Business Breakdowns by Colossus | Investing & Business Podcasts

March 20, 2026 · 1h 15m

About this episode

The episode breaks down Apollo, exploring its origins, investment strategies, and competitive landscape in the alternative asset management industry.

This episode was originally recorded in March 2025. ​Today, we are breaking down the global alternative asset manager, Apollo. I reflected on my personal experiences with Apollo for this episode, and there's a saying that hard work can beat talent when talent doesn't work hard. Well, Apollo has talent, and Apollo works really damn hard. They will do everything they can to protect their capital, so if you're on the other side of the table from them, you never feel fully comfortable. I am joined by Hunter Hopcroft, a financial analyst and writer based in New York. We get into what makes Apollo, Apollo, and Hunter share the backstory of how it was born out of Drexel Burnham and Michael Milkin’s DNA. We get into some of the early deals, the theme craving complexity, how they differ from the KKR or Blackstone, and the future of the industry. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- This episode is brought to…

People in this episode

Guest: Hunter Hopcroft

Topics covered

  • alternative asset management
  • Apollo
  • financial analysis
  • investment strategies
  • complexity in finance
  • industry future

Keywords

  • Apollo
  • alternative assets
  • investment
  • financial analysis
  • Drexel Burnham
  • KKR
  • Blackstone
  • complexity
  • capital protection

Sponsors

Portrait Analytics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Apollo, Drexel Burnham, KKR, Blackstone

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