Who owns Athene insurance?

Athene is wholly owned by Apollo Global Management, Inc., a publicly traded company on the NYSE under ticker APO. Apollo co-founded Athene in 2009 and completed an all-stock merger with it in January 2022, making Athene its Retirement Services segment.

Is Athene publicly traded?

No. Athene traded on the NYSE under ticker ATH from 2016 until the Apollo merger closed in January 2022. It is now part of Apollo, so investors gain exposure to Athene by owning Apollo stock.

When was Athene founded?

Athene was founded in 2009 by insurance executive Jim Belardi with backing from Apollo. It grew by acquiring annuity blocks from other insurers and expanded into one of the largest U.S. annuity providers before merging with Apollo in 2022.

What does Athene sell?

Athene sells fixed indexed annuities, fixed annuities, and registered index-linked annuities through independent agents, banks, and broker-dealers. It also handles pension risk transfer transactions for corporations and issues funding agreements to institutional investors.

Is Athene financially strong?

Athene's insurance subsidiaries carry investment-grade ratings from major agencies, and its portfolio is predominantly investment grade fixed income. The Apollo-Athene model has attracted scrutiny of affiliated asset management, but the company publishes detailed portfolio disclosures and remains one of the largest annuity writers in the country.

Insurance

Who Owns Athene?

Athene is owned by Apollo Global Management, Inc., a publicly traded alternative asset manager on the NYSE under ticker APO. Athene was co-founded by Apollo and insurance executive Jim Belardi in 2009 and merged fully into Apollo in January 2022, becoming its Retirement Services segment. It sells fixed indexed annuities and related retirement products from headquarters in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Parent Company

Apollo Global Management, Inc.

Acquired

2022

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

West Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Athene Timeline

1990

Apollo Global Management, Inc.

Parent company established in New York, New York, USA

Company Founded

2009

Athene

Founded by Jim Belardi, Apollo Global Management

Founded

2022

Acquired by Apollo Global Management, Inc.

Apollo Global Management, Inc. acquired Athene

Acquired

mass marketUnited StatesOfficial Website

Who Owns Athene?

Parent Company: Apollo Global Management, Inc.
Ownership Type: Subsidiary
Acquisition Year: 2022
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NYSE: APO

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Athene	Apollo Global Management, Inc.	Subsidiary

History of Athene

Founded: 2009
Founders: Jim Belardi, Apollo Global Management
Acquired by Apollo Global Management, Inc.: 2022

Athene was founded in 2009, in the aftermath of the financial crisis, by insurance executive Jim Belardi with backing from Apollo. The original insight was that life insurers holding large books of annuities were capital-constrained after the crisis, creating an opportunity to acquire those blocks cheaply and invest them through Apollo's credit expertise.

The company grew rapidly through block acquisitions. It purchased annuity portfolios from Aviva USA in 2012 and 2013, the U.S. life operations that became the core of Athene USA in West Des Moines, Iowa, and later blocks from Voya Financial's annuity business and others. By the mid-2010s Athene had become one of the largest fixed indexed annuity writers in the United States, competing with Global Atlantic, Corebridge, and Security Benefit.

Athene went public on the NYSE in 2016 under ticker ATH, though Apollo already held a significant stake and managed its assets. The formal combination came through an all-stock merger announced in March 2021 and completed in January 2022, after which Athene delisted and became Apollo's Retirement Services segment.

Since the merger, Athene has expanded beyond retail annuities into institutional retirement markets, including pension risk transfer transactions in which it assumes corporate pension obligations, and funding agreements issued to institutional investors. Its invested portfolio, managed substantially by Apollo, funds the annuity book, and by the end of 2025 Apollo's Retirement Services segment was producing the majority of the company's spread related earnings.

About Apollo Global Management, Inc.

Is Apollo Global Management publicly traded?
Yes. Apollo Global Management, Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker APO. The firm converted to a corporation in 2019 and has no dual class share structure, so common stockholders vote proportionally.

Who founded Apollo?
Apollo was founded in 1990 by Leon Black, Joshua Harris, and Marc Rowan, all former investment bankers at Drexel Burnham Lambert. Black resigned in January 2021 following scrutiny of his payments to Jeffrey Epstein, and Rowan has served as CEO since.

Does Apollo own Yahoo?
Yes. Apollo funds acquired Yahoo from Verizon in 2021 for approximately $5 billion. Apollo holds a 90% stake and Verizon retains 10%. Yahoo operates as an independent company under CEO Jim Lanzone.

What is Athene?
Athene is a retirement services company that sells fixed indexed annuities and related products. Apollo co-founded Athene in 2009 and merged with it in January 2022, making Athene its Retirement Services segment. Athene's premiums are invested largely in assets originated by Apollo's credit businesses.

How much does Apollo manage?
Apollo reported approximately $938 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025, up 25% year over year. Fee-generating AUM was $709 billion. The firm added $228 billion in inflows and originated $309 billion of assets during 2025.

Does Apollo own ADT?
Apollo funds are ADT's largest shareholder with approximately 40% of outstanding stock. Apollo took ADT private in 2016, returned it to the NYSE in 2018, and reduced its majority position through secondary offerings in 2024, so it no longer controls the company.

Founded: 1990
Headquarters: New York, New York, USA
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock: NYSE: APO
Revenue: $5.2 billion adjusted net income (FY2025)
Employees: approximately 6,000

Visit Apollo Global Management, Inc. website

View full company profile for Apollo Global Management, Inc.

Where Is Athene Made / Based?

Headquarters: West Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Athene Categories & Tags

Insurance Annuities Retirement Financial Services American Brand

Athene Recalls & Controversies

Athene's controversies are structural rather than product-specific. The biggest is regulatory and analyst scrutiny of the Apollo-Athene model, in which an affiliated asset manager invests insurance premiums into assets it originates. Critics, including credit analysts and some state regulators, have questioned whether such arrangements shift risk onto policyholders; Athene and Apollo maintain the portfolio is investment grade and heavily regulated.

Athene has also faced occasional litigation common to annuity sellers, including suits over agent sales practices and surrender charge disclosures, resolved in the ordinary course. A 2025 documentary and short-seller criticism of Apollo's credit quality reignited debate around Athene's asset mix, though the company has published detailed portfolio breakdowns in response. No systemic safety issue affecting policyholders has been documented.

Athene Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+Apollo's origination engine supplies investment-grade assets at scale
+Integrated model delivered $3.4 billion in spread related earnings in FY2025
+Leading position in the fast-growing fixed indexed annuity market
+Full consolidation since 2022 aligns the insurer with the parent

Considerations

-Affiliated asset manager structure invites ongoing regulatory scrutiny
-Annuity spread income is sensitive to credit markets and rates
-Dependent on Apollo for investment management, limiting independence
-Concentrated in the U.S. annuity market and interest rate cycles

Frequently Asked Questions About Athene

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Athene

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
GEICO	Berkshire Hathaway	USA	1936	Mass market	United states	All-ages
MassMutual Ascend	Massmutual	USA	1955	Mass market	United states	All Genders
Prudential	Prudential Financial	USA	1875	Mass market	United states	All Genders
TIAA	Tiaa	USA	1918	Mass market	United states	All Genders
Aetna	Cvs Health	United States	1853	Mass market	North america	All Genders
Charles Schwab	Charles Schwab	USA	1971	Mass market	United states	All Genders

brokerageinvestingwealth-management

Competitive Analysis

Market Positioning: Athene competes with 6 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.

Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.

Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.

Independent Alternatives to Athene

Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Apollo Global Management, Inc., giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.

Insurance

Nationwide

Owned by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

Consumer-facing insurance and financial services brand of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, the Columbus, Ohio mutual founded in 1926.

insurancemutual-insuranceauto-insurance

Privately Owned

Nationwide is privately owned, unlike Athene which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Insurance

Allied Insurance

Owned by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

Des Moines-founded insurance brand of Nationwide Mutual, serving independent agents and brokers for personal and small commercial lines since 1929.

insuranceindependent-agentsproperty-casualty

Privately Owned

Allied Insurance is privately owned, unlike Athene which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Insurance

MassMutual Ascend

Owned by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual)

Cincinnati-based annuity company subsidiary of MassMutual, acquired as Great American Life Insurance in 2021, selling fixed, indexed, and registered index-linked annuities.

annuitiesretirementfixed-annuities

Privately Owned

MassMutual Ascend is privately owned, unlike Athene which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Insurance

Nationwide Pet Insurance

Owned by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

America's first and largest pet insurance brand, founded as Veterinary Pet Insurance in 1982 and owned by Nationwide Mutual since 2009.

pet-insuranceinsurancepets

Privately Owned

Nationwide Pet Insurance is privately owned, unlike Athene which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Insurance

TIAA

Owned by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America

American retirement and financial services brand offering 403(b) and 401(k) plans, annuities, and wealth management, operated by the nonprofit Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America.

retirementannuities403b-plans

Privately Owned

TIAA is privately owned, unlike Athene which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Insurance

MetLife

Owned by MetLife, Inc.

MetLife is the flagship insurance and employee benefits brand of MetLife, Inc., the largest U.S. life insurer, serving roughly 100 million customers in more than 40 markets.

life-insuranceemployee-benefitsdental

Publicly Traded

MetLife operates independently without a large parent corporation.

Apollo Global Management, Inc. Stock Information

Jobs at Apollo Global Management, Inc.

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Who Owns Athene?

Parent Company

Apollo Global Management, Inc.

Acquired

2022

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

West Des Moines, Iowa, USA