Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, will appear before the US House Oversight Committee on 1 July 2026 to address his financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The congressional hearing examines potential connections between the late financier and Apollo’s portfolio of international gambling and iGaming companies.
Black stepped down as Apollo chief executive in 2021 as scrutiny over Epstein intensified. Federal investigators are reviewing an alleged cover-up surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting sex trafficking charges. Congressional records indicate Black transferred approximately $150 million to Epstein over several decades for "personal financial advice and fees".
Apollo’s Gambling and iGaming Portfolio
Apollo Global Management currently oversees roughly $938 billion in assets with a market capitalisation of $73 billion. Black retains between seven and fourteen percent of the firm’s shares. The investment group maintains significant positions across the casino and digital betting sectors.
Apollo Funds completed a $6.3 billion all-cash transaction to merge International Game Technology’s gaming division with Everi Holdings, forming IGTech. The firm also holds a €500 million stake in Allwyn Entertainment and fully acquired Great Canadian Gaming Corporation in 2021, which operates twenty-five venues across Canada.
Additionally, Apollo has expanded Lottomatica’s digital and iGaming operations in Italy.
The oversight committee has previously questioned other prominent figures regarding their associations with Epstein, including former US president Bill Clinton, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The current proceedings continue the broader congressional review of high-profile financial networks linked to the late financier.