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Exclusive | Ares Management Raises Nearly $10 Billion for Opportunistic Private-Credit Strategy

Reported by Wsj ·Businesswire
Mar 31, 2026· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Ares Management has raised more than $9.8 billion for its opportunistic credit strategy, closing its third fund dedicated to such deals along with related transaction vehicles, according to the Wall Street Journal.
  • • The flagship Ares Special Opportunities Fund III collected $8.3 billion in equity commitments, with the balance coming from commitments to related vehicles.
  • • The total excludes anticipated leverage, meaning deployable capital could be higher once borrowing is factored in.
  • • The raise comes even as private credit as an asset class faces increased scrutiny from investors and observers.
Summary
Ares Management has raised over $9.8 billion for its opportunistic credit strategy, closing its third fund for such deals along with related transaction vehicles, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The fundraise comes as private credit as an asset class has drawn increased scrutiny, making the successful close a notable data point for allocators assessing the segment.

The centerpiece is Ares Special Opportunities Fund III, which collected $8.3 billion in equity commitments. The remaining capital came from commitments to related vehicles. The reported total does not include anticipated leverage, which would add to the capital available for deployment.

The strategy targets credit and equity transactions that provide liquidity to both stressed and healthy companies. This positioning allows the fund to pursue a broader set of opportunities than traditional direct lending, spanning situations where borrowers need capital solutions as well as companies with sound fundamentals seeking flexible financing.

The primary source does not provide additional detail on fund terms, investor composition, return targets, or fee structures.

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Sources

2 outlets

AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

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