Short answers, pulled from the story.
Oaktree Capital Management was co-founded in 1995 by a group of principals who had previously worked together at the TCW Group starting in the mid-1980s. Within three months of its founding, more than 30 TCW clients transferred $1.5 billion in assets to the new firm.
Oaktree Capital Management is known as the largest distressed-debt investor in the world. Its 17 distressed-debt funds, which do not use leverage, averaged annual gains of 19% after fees over 22 years as reported in 2011.
As of the 31st of December 2025, Oaktree Capital Management managed $223 billion for its clients.
Brookfield Asset Management announced the agreement to buy 62% of Oaktree on the 13th of March 2019 for approximately $4.7 billion, with the acquisition completing on the 30th of September 2019. In October 2025, Brookfield agreed to acquire the remaining stake for $3 billion, taking full ownership.
Oaktree Capital Group, LLC listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OAK on the 12th of April 2012. Prior to that, its shares traded on GSTrUE, a private over-the-counter exchange run by Goldman Sachs.
Oaktree's clients include 64 of the 100 largest U.S. pension plans, 40 state retirement plans in the United States, over 550 corporations or their pension funds, more than 275 university and charitable endowments and foundations, and 17 sovereign wealth funds.