Who says a leopard can't change its spots? Or that the sun god can't change his morning route?
Apollo Management, known as one of the biggest private equity shops in the world, is taking advantage of a loophole in fin reg to create a bank in the U.S.
It will be headed by a team from Countrywide Financial (though from the banking side, not the mortgage side), according to the Financial Times. The bank will be called Ares and will list on the NYSE soon. The firm declined to comment on the matter.
Most PE firms have given up on creating or buying troubled banks, but Apollo seems to be bucking the trend. The bank will operate separately from the main firm, and will also have its own board.