Kort Schnabel

Partner, Co-Head of U.S. Direct Lending, Ares and CEO, Ares Capital Corporation
Ares

Kort Schnabel is a partner and co-head of U.S. direct lending in the Ares Credit Group and chief executive officer of Ares Capital Corporation, the largest publicly traded business development company in the U.S. by market cap. He was promoted to CEO of ARCC in 2025 and also co-heads Ares’ sports, media and entertainment strategy. Since joining Ares as a principal in 2001, Schnabel has helped build the U.S. direct lending platform into a $193-billion asset management business and grown ARCC to a $13.7-billion market cap since its 2004 IPO. He has overseen more than 2,655 investments representing $223 billion of invested capital, with a loss rate under 1 basis point. He leads nearly 250 investment professionals across nine U.S. offices and serves on the Ares Operating Committee.