Ariel Investments
John Rogers Jr. founded Ariel Investments in 1983 with $200,000 at age 24, making it one of the first Black-owned investment management firms in the United States. The Chicago-based firm, whose logo is a tortoise ('slow and steady wins the race'), specializes in patient, long-term value investing in small and mid-cap companies that are out of favor with Wall Street. Rogers is one of the longest-serving fund managers in the mutual fund industry and a pioneering figure in promoting diversity in finance.
Ariel's approach involves buying companies with strong competitive positions and capable management teams when they are temporarily misunderstood or ignored by the market — and then holding them for years as value is recognized. The firm is known for its focus on overlooked sectors like media, financial services, and specialty retail. Rogers is a close friend and longtime associate of both Barack Obama and Warren Buffett, and Ariel has been a vocal advocate for closing the racial wealth gap through broader investment in the capital markets.
We are patient investors. We buy carefully selected, undervalued companies and hold them until the rest of the world recognizes their worth. The tortoise always wins.
— Ariel Investments, Ariel Investments