Short answers, pulled from the story.
Alex was designed by Akiman Yasuda during the early development of Street Fighter III: New Generation. Artist Kinu Nishimura also contributed, with Yasuda basing Alex's face on French actor Christopher Lambert at Nishimura's suggestion, while Nishimura drew the face paint from the anime version of Devilman.
Alex was released on the 30th of March, 2016, as a downloadable character for Street Fighter V. He was the first of six post-launch characters added to the game following its initial release in 2016.
Street Fighter 6 revealed that Alex had married Patricia, the daughter of his mentor Tom. The game's World Tour mode established Tom as Alex's mother's cousin, making Patricia Alex's second cousin. Fans and journalists questioned the relationship given earlier story material that described Alex as treating Patricia like a sister, and the game's director Takayuki Nakayama issued an apology and pledged to revise misleading text.
Alex's last name, Winger, was revealed for the first time in Street Fighter 6. In the same game he was also depicted as a professional wrestling heel.
Gaming journalist John Learned identified Hulk Hogan as a key reference point for Alex, pointing to the pre-match shirt-ripping animation and Alex's rivalry with Hugo, a character modeled on Andre the Giant. The wrestling connection was also intentional from development, as the team wanted to reflect the popularity of professional wrestling at the time.
Alex first appeared in Street Fighter III: New Generation as the game's primary protagonist, then returned in Street Fighter III: Third Strike, Street Fighter V as DLC, and Street Fighter 6. He also appears in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Capcom Fighting All-Stars, and Capcom Fighting Evolution.