William E. Conway Jr.

Last updated

William E. Conway Jr.
Born
William Elias Conway Jr.

(1949-08-27) August 27, 1949 (age 74) [1]
Education Dartmouth College (AB)
University of Chicago (MBA)
Occupation(s)businessman, investor, philanthropist
TitleCo-Executive Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder of The Carlyle Group
Board member of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Catholic University of America
Children William Elias Conway III

William E. "Bill" Conway Jr. (born August 27, 1949) is an American billionaire businessman, investor and philanthropist. [2] Conway serves as Co-Executive Chairman of the Board, Founder of the Carlyle Group. [3] He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of America. According to Forbes, Conway had a net worth of US$3.6 billion as of April 2022. [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Conway attended Dartmouth College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Science in 1971. [4] [5] Continuing his studies at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he received his MBA degree in 1974 with his main focus being on Finance. Conway went to night school for his MBA while working at the First National Bank of Chicago. [4] [6]

Career

He started his career by serving in a variety of positions in corporate finance, commercial lending, workout loans and general management for almost ten years with First National Bank of Chicago. [7] [8] From 1981 to 1986, Conway had worked in various financial positions at MCI Communications being named senior vice president and chief financial officer in 1984. [7] [8] In 1987, Conway founded The Carlyle Group with David Rubenstein and Daniel A. D'Aniello. The firm has grown into a global investment firm with $293 billion of assets under management, with more than 1,800 employees in 31 offices on six continents. [7] [8] [4] [9]

He has served as the chairman of the boards of Nextel Communications and United Defense Industries. [9] He has made charitable donations to the Catholic Church. [7] As of April 2022, he is the 809th richest person in the world and is worth of $3.6 billion. [4]

Conway was scheduled to speak at the November 2022 Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, with the Hong Kong Democracy Council claiming that his presence, along with other financial executives, would legitimize the Hong Kong government's whitewashing of the erosion of freedoms in the city. [10] Several members of Congress also warned that US financial executives should not attend the Summit, saying "Their presence only serves to legitimise the swift dismantling of Hong Kong's autonomy, free press and the rule of law by Hong Kong authorities acting along with the Chinese Communist Party." [11]

Political activities

Conway's son, also named Bill Conway, ran in the 2020 Democratic primary election for Cook County State's Attorney against incumbent Kim Foxx. Conway donated $10.5 million of his personal fortune to his son's ultimately unsuccessful campaign. [12] [13] [14]

Personal life

In 1999, Conway bought Merrywood, the childhood home of Jackie Kennedy, from Alan I. Kay for $15.5 million. Less than a year later, he sold it to Steve Case, the former CEO of AOL and his wife, Jean Villanueva, for $24.5 million. [15] [16] Conway was previously married and divorced. He has one child from his prior marriage, Bill Conway. [17] He is currently married. [18] [19] He and his wife Joanne live in McLean, Virginia. [4]

The nursing school of the Catholic University of America, the Conway School of Nursing, is named after him and his wife. [20]

Joanne Barkett Conway passed away on January 8, 2024, following a short illness. She was 75. [21] [22]

Philanthropy

Conway and his wife Joanne support a number of charities and institutions. [2] [23] In June 2019 they donated $20 million to the Catholic University of America to create the Conway School of Nursing. Since 2012, Conway pledged over $55 million for the Latin American Youth Center to finance the organization's educational programs. [23] Other significant donations of Conway and his wife Joanne include Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, [24] the University of Virginia’s School of Nursing [25] Trinity Washington University, Georgetown University's School of Nursing, and more. [26]

Publications

Related Research Articles

The Carlyle Group Inc. is an American multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services corporation based in the United States with $426 billion of assets under management. It specializes in private equity, real assets, and private credit. It is one of the largest mega-funds in the world. In 2015, Carlyle was the world's largest private equity firm by capital raised over the previous five years, according to the PEI 300 index. In the 2024 ranking however, it had slipped to sixth place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Li Ka-shing</span> Hong Kong entrepreneur

Sir Ka-shing Li is a Hong Kong billionaire business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the senior advisor for CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, after he retired from the Chairman of the Board in May 2018; through it, he is a port investor, developer, and operator of the largest health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe. As of July 2023, Li is the 33rd richest person in the world, with an estimated net wealth of US$37.7 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Shau-kee</span> Hong Kong real estate billionaire

Lee Shau-kee GBM is a Hong Kong business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is a real estate tycoon and majority owner of Henderson Land Development, a property conglomerate with interests in property, hotels, restaurants and internet services. In 2019, aged 91, Lee stepped down as chairman and managing director of the company, in favour of two of his sons, Peter and Martin Lee. He retains a role as an executive director.

Kenneth Gerard Langone Sr. KSG is an American billionaire businessman best known for organizing financing for the founders of The Home Depot. He is a major donor to the Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert S. Kapito</span> American businessman and investor

Robert Steven Kapito is an American businessman and investor. He is a co-founder and president of the New York City-based investment management firm BlackRock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Metropolitan University</span> Public university in Kowloon, Hong Kong

Hong Kong Metropolitan University is a public university in Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Len Blavatnik</span> Ukrainian-born British-American billionaire businessperson and philanthropist (born 1957)

Sir Leonard Valentinovich Blavatnik is a Soviet/Ukrainian-born British-American businessman and philanthropist. As of January 2024, Forbes estimated his net worth at $31.3 billion. In 2017, Blavatnik received a knighthood for services to philanthropy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Rubenstein</span> American lawyer and businessman (born 1949)

David Mark Rubenstein is an American lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist. A former government official, he is a co-founder and co-chairman of the private equity firm The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm based in Washington, D.C. Rubenstein is also the principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB), acquiring them in 2024 for $1.7 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James P. Gorman</span> Australian-American financier (born 1958)

James Patrick Gorman is an Australian-American businessman and financier. He has been executive chairman of Morgan Stanley since 2012, and was CEO of the firm from 2010 through 2023. Before becoming CEO, he was the co-president and co-head of strategic planning at the firm.

Daniel Anthony D'Aniello is an American billionaire businessman. He is the cofounder and chairman of the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm headquartered in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Chu</span> Hong Kong activist (born 1978)

Samuel Chu Muk Man is a Hong Kong-born American activist and community organizer. Chu is the founder and President of The Campaign for Hong Kong, a US-based nonpartisan organization whose mission is to advocate for American leadership and policies that advance human rights and democracy in Hong Kong. He is also a founding member of the advisory board of the Axel Springer SE Freedom Foundation in Berlin (Germany), a senior advisor to the president and CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and a trainer for Midwest Academy, a training school for community organizers in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine</span>

The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine or LKS Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed), formerly known as the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, is a medical school consisting of several schools and departments that provide tertiary programmes in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and Chinese medicine. English is the medium of instruction for all classes, while Chinese is retained for the teaching of Chinese medicine. It is located several kilometres away from the university's main campus and is near the Queen Mary Hospital, which is its main teaching facility and research base. Founded in 1887, it is also one of the oldest western medical schools in the Far East.

Jonathan D. Gray is an American billionaire businessman who is the president and chief operating officer of Blackstone Group, a New York–based asset management firm. He is also the chairman of Hilton Worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lei Jun</span> Chinese billionaire entrepreneur (born 1969)

Lei Jun is a Chinese billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is known for founding the consumer electronics company Xiaomi. As of October 2022, Lei's net worth was estimated at either US$8.1 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, making him the 203rd richest person in the world, or at $7.5 billion by Forbes, ranking him 265th worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Winters</span> American banker (born 1961)

William Thomas Winters, CBE is an American banker who is the chief executive (CEO) of Standard Chartered, and was formerly co-head of JPMorgan Chase's investment bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert F. Smith (investor)</span> American businessman and philanthropist (born 1962)

Robert Frederick Smith is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. He graduated from Cornell University with a chemical engineering degree and from Columbia Business School with an MBA, before working as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. In 2019, while delivering the commencement speech at Morehouse College, Smith pledged to pay off the entire $34 million of student loan debt of all of the members of the 2019 graduating class.

The Conway School of Nursing is the nursing school of The Catholic University of America. It was founded in 1935, and was named after Joanne and Bill Conway in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendan Reilly (politician)</span> American politician

Brendan Reilly is an American politician who has served as alderman of Chicago's 42nd ward since 2007, when he unseated septuagenarian incumbent Burton Natarus. He served as Vice Mayor of Chicago, being elected to that position by the Chicago City Council, from 2015 to 2019. From May 2019 to May 2023, he served as President pro tempore of the Council, which means that he presided over council proceedings in the mayor's absence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Democracy Council</span> American non-profit advocacy group

Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan, non-governmental organization (NGO) with a stated mission of "protect[ing] Hong Kong's basic freedoms, autonomy, and the rule of law." HKDC's research and political work focuses on "educational outreach, community empowerment, and policy advocacy".

William Elias "Bill" Conway III is an American politician, attorney, businessman, and military veteran. He is the alderman for the 34th ward in the Chicago City Council, having won the 2023 election for the office.

References

  1. Date of birth of Bill Conway, Journal Officiel du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, May 2004; accessed May 1, 2015.
  2. 1 2 McCartney, Robert (September 26, 2012). "Bill Conway decides how to donate $1 billion". The Washington Post .
  3. Heath, Thomas (October 25, 2017). "The Carlyle Group changes leadership after three decades". The Washington Post.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "William Conway Jr. Profile". Forbes Magazine . June 25, 2021.
  5. "William E Conway Jr". MoneyInc. May 8, 2019.
  6. "William E. Conway Jr., '74, Co-Founder And Co-Executive Chairman at Carlyle Group". the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "William E. Conway Jr". carlyle.com.
  8. 1 2 3 "Directors". Carlyle Capital Corp.
  9. 1 2 Patrick McGeehan, 'Look Who Hit Pay Dirt in the Nextel Deal', in The New York Times , December 19, 2004
  10. "Business Not As Usual | HKDC". HKDC. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  11. "Hong Kong's finance chief, hit by Covid, aims to attend banking summit in person". South China Morning Post. October 28, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  12. Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. "Friends of Bill Conway". Illinois Sunshine. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  13. Hinton, Rachel (March 18, 2020). "For Kim Foxx, Jussie Smollett proved 'a blip' for primary voters". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  14. Hinton, Rachel (January 10, 2020). "State's attorney challenger Conway gets another $2.3 million from billionaire dad, fueling spat with incumbent Foxx". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  15. Washingtonian Staff (April 23, 2019). "Who Are the Richest People in Washington?". Washingtonian . Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  16. Gilgore, Sara (May 30, 2018). "Steve Case's McLean estate sells for $43M — a new record". Washington Business Journal . Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  17. "Bill Conway, candidate for State's Attorney". The Conway files. January 15, 2020.
  18. "BEDFORD FALLS FOUNDATION C/O JOANNE BARKETT CONWAY". ProPublica. May 9, 2013.
  19. "Bedford Falls Foundation C/O Joanne Barkett Conway". Charity Navigator.
  20. University, Catholic. "Bill and Joanne Conway Give CatholicU Nursing $20 Million". The Catholic University of America. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  21. "Joanne Conway Obituary (2024) - Vienna, VA - the Washington Post". Legacy.com .
  22. "In Memoriam: Joanne Barkett Conway | GW Today | the George Washington University".
  23. 1 2 "William Conway Jr., Co-Founder of the Carlyle Group, and his wife Joanne, give $20 million to Catholic University". Billionaire Chronicle. June 8, 2019.
  24. "Bedford Falls Fund Doubles Giving to Villanova University M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing with an Additional $2.5 Million Commitment to the Joanne and William Conway Scholarship Program". Villanova University.
  25. Lake, Sydney (January 9, 2020). "U.Va. School of Nursing receives $20M donation". Virginia Business.
  26. Andrson, Nick (January 5, 2021). "Some D.C.-area colleges received record donations recently. Here are other top education gifts". The Washington Post.
  27. Conway Jr., William (November 19, 2012). "Why We're Investing in America (Op-ed)". The Wall Street Journal.