Guggenheim Partners

Guggenheim Partners is a global investment and advisory firm that has been a quiet powerhouse in the financial world since its founding in 1999. The Guggenheim family, known for their art and mining ventures, established the firm to offer independent investment banking and asset management. Today, the company is headquartered in New York City, with major offices in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. It employs around 2,000 people and manages over $325 billion in assets, making it a significant player in the industry.

The firm operates through two main divisions: Guggenheim Securities, which handles investment banking and capital markets, and Guggenheim Investments, which manages assets for institutional and individual clients. Over the years, Guggenheim has built a reputation for agility in complex markets, often stepping in where mega-banks hesitate. Its clients range from governments and corporations to high-net-worth individuals, and it has been involved in high-profile deals across technology, energy, and infrastructure.

Leadership changed hands in 2013 when Mark Walter acquired a controlling stake from the Guggenheim family and became CEO. Under his direction, the firm expanded aggressively into insurance, sports ownership, and private credit. However, recent federal investigations have cast a shadow over the brand. In July 2026, U.S. prosecutors launched a probe into Walter's financial empire, focusing on approximately $16 billion in private-credit deals suspected of fraud. This coincided with the sudden sale of the Los Angeles Lakers, which Walter owned, to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner for a record $12.5 billion valuation. Despite these challenges, the firm continues to operate its core businesses, and recent announcements show ongoing fund distributions, indicating resilience amid legal headwinds. [edit]