Moelis & Company

ABOUT THIS COMPANY:

Ken’s creation

Moelis & Company provides financial advisory and asset management services to corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide. The investment bank also operates in the private equity space through its middle-market PE unit, Moelis Capital Partners. In addition to New York, Moelis has offices in Beijing, Boston, Chicago, Frankfurt, Houston, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Palo Alto, Sydney, Dubai, and Hong Kong. The firm employs approximately 580 people worldwide, and is headed by founder and namesake Kenneth Moelis, who rose to fame in the early 1980s, working at Drexel Burnam Lambert. After a successful career at Donald Lufkin & Jenrette Securities (DLJ), Moelis was lured to UBS in 2000. He recruited several DLJ bankers to join him and promptly turned UBS Investment Bank into a global powerhouse. In 2007, he resigned from UBS and formed his eponymous firm. To fill the ranks at Moelis & Company, Moelis turned to his old DLJ and Drexel Lambert friends. He also persuaded several top UBS executives and other senior industry bankers to join him. Right off the bat, Moelis & Company landed big-league assignments that belied its boutique size. One day after opening its doors, Moelis advised Hilton Hotels on its $26.5 billion sale to The Blackstone Group. Soon after, it helped defend Yahoo! from Microsoft’s $44 billion hostile takeover bid and advised Anheuser-Busch on its $61.2 billion sale to InBev. Since its inception, the firm has announced approximately over $340 billion of M&A deals. In 2010, it was named Best Global Independent Investment Bank by Euromoney, and Ken Moelis was named Banker of the Year by Investment Dealers' Digest, which pointed out Moelis & Company's ability to land high-profile clients such as Advent International, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Dubai World. IDD also handed Moelis the award in 2011, noting Moelis & Company's significant growth in Europe and Asia, and saying the firm is "showing no signs of slowing down."