Apollo’s Marc Rowan Says He’s ‘Disappointed’ With Presidential Field

(Bloomberg) -- Apollo Management CEO Marc Rowan said he’s disappointed in the field of presidential candidates and doesn’t have a favorite as the 2024 contest seems destined to be a rematch of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

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“It’s hard to believe with 350 million people in this country that we’re down to two,” Rowan said in an interview on Bloomberg Surveillance Tuesday. “Personally, I’m disappointed.”

“We have the single best hand of cards anywhere in the world. We have it all. We just play this hand poorly,” Rowan said. “We have challenges that we have not been able to — as a result of lack of leadership, as a result of political consensus — to address.”

Rowan previously backed South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, contributing $250,000 to a super political action committee supporting his candidacy and hosting a Hamptons fundraiser for him over the summer. But Scott dropped out last month after languishing in sixth place despite significant Wall Street support.

Rowan’s disappointment in the remaining Republican field reflects the ambivalence of much of Wall Street. A number of big-money Republican donors are waiting for a single Trump challenger to emerge.

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has gotten a second look from many of those donors in recent weeks, with Citadel’s Ken Griffin, JPMorganChase’s Jamie Dimon and billionaire investor Bill Ackman all viewing her candidacy favorably. Americans for Prosperity Action, the super PAC backed by billionaire Charles Koch, has also thrown its support behind Haley.

But Rowan gave no hints he was inclined to give Haley a look. Asked whether United Nations experience was important for a presidential challenger, Rowan demurred.

“United Nations, no,” he said. Then he added, “I thought I responded delicately.”

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Rowan also addressed the issue of growing antisemitism on college campuses, saying that the dehumanization of Jews could lead to further violence. But he said that issue did not factor into his decision not to support a presidential candidate.

(Adds details starting in ninth paragraph. A previous version corrected the spelling of Marc Rowan’s first name in first paragraph)

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