# Drew McKnight

> Drew McKnight is the Dallas-based co-chief executive officer, board member and managing partner of Fortress Investment Group. A University of Virginia economics graduate and former championship lacrosse player, he worked at Goldman Sachs and Fir Tree Partners before joining Fortress in February 2005. His public work spans private credit, asset-based finance and Dallas’s development as a financial center.

- **Role:** Co-Chief Executive Officer, Board Member & Managing Partner at Fortress Investment Group
- **Organizations:** Fortress Investment Group, Goldman Sachs, Fir Tree Partners, American Enterprise Institute, Hoover Institution, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Financial Sector Advisory Council, University of Virginia Center for Politics, SMU Cox School of Business Alternative Asset Management Center, Council on Foreign Relations
- **Education:** B.A. in Economics, University of Virginia
- **Known for:** Co-captain of Virginia’s 1999 NCAA men’s lacrosse championship team., Shared Virginia’s 1998 offensive MVP award with Jay Jalbert., Named ACC men’s lacrosse player of the week in April 2000.

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Committed to Virginia and was selected for the U.S. under-19 lacrosse team.
- **1999** — Virginia lacrosse co-captain; scored twice in the NCAA championship win over Syracuse.
- **Before 2005** — Worked in leveraged finance and distressed bank debt trading at Goldman Sachs, then in securities analysis and trading at Fir Tree Partners.
- **2005** — Joined Fortress in February.
- **2011** — Moved from New York to San Francisco with the Fortress credit group.
- **2012** — Featured in Institutional Investor’s Hedge Fund Rising Stars series.
- **2023** — Named in May as an incoming co-CEO in the announced management and Mubadala acquisition.
- **2024** — Management and Mubadala acquisition completed in May; McKnight was among the largest individual investors.
- **2025** — Discussed asset-based finance on Credit Exchange and private credit on CNBC.

## Achievements

- Co-captain of Virginia’s 1999 NCAA men’s lacrosse championship team.
- Shared Virginia’s 1998 offensive MVP award with Jay Jalbert.
- Named ACC men’s lacrosse player of the week in April 2000.
- Featured in Institutional Investor’s Hedge Fund Rising Stars in 2012.
- One of the largest individual investors in Fortress’s 2024 management and Mubadala buyout.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Fortress-backed Mammoth Freighters announced its first converted 777-200LRMF delivery to Jetran.
- **2026-06** — Fortress reported $55 billion in managed assets as of June 30, 2026; this is firm capital, not McKnight’s personal wealth.
- **2026-04** — McKnight commented on FAA certification of Mammoth Freighters’ 777-200LRMF.
- **2025-06** — Appeared on CNBC Fast Money to discuss private credit opportunities.
- **2025-04** — Joined Jim Litinsky for a live Learning from Leaders conversation in Dallas.

## Links

- Website: https://www.fortress.com/who-we-are/team/drew-mcknight
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-mcknight-ba076053

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/drew-mcknight
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09