John W. Rogers Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Rogers
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John Washington Rogers Jr.
March 31, 1958 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Desirée Rogers (divorced) Sharon Fairley (divorced) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Jewel Lafontant (mother) John W. Rogers Sr. (father) |
| Education | Princeton University (BA) |
John Washington Rogers Jr. (born March 31, 1958) is a famous American investor and business leader. He is best known for starting Ariel Capital Management, which is now called Ariel Investments, LLC. He founded this company in 1983 and is currently its chairman and co-CEO. Ariel Investments is special because it's the largest mutual fund company in the United States that is run by a minority group.
John Rogers has also written articles for Forbes magazine for many years, sharing his financial advice. He is very active in his community and has served on the boards of many companies and organizations. He was also a big supporter of Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008 and helped with Obama's inauguration in 2009. In 2007, he received the Woodrow Wilson Award from Princeton University for his amazing service to many groups. When he was a student at Princeton, he was the captain of the men's basketball team that won the Ivy League championship in 1979–80.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Growing Up in Chicago
John Rogers grew up in the Hyde Park area of Chicago. When he was just 12 years old, his father started giving him dividend-paying stocks. This was how he first learned about investing. He later went to Princeton University for college. While there, he spent a lot of time at a local stock brokerage office. He was also inspired by a book called A Random Walk Down Wall Street, which taught him more about how the stock market works.
A Family of Achievers
John Rogers is the only son of Jewel Lafontant and John W. Rogers Sr.. His mother, Jewel Lafontant, made history as the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Chicago Law School in 1946. She became a well-known lawyer. His father, John W. Rogers Sr., was a brave Tuskegee Airman pilot during World War II. He flew over 100 combat missions! Later, his father became a judge in Cook County for twenty years.
One of John Rogers' great-grandfathers owned a hotel called the Stratford Hotel in Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma. This area was known as "The Black Wall Street." Sadly, the hotel was destroyed during the Tulsa race riot. John Rogers helped pay for a documentary called Before They Die! This film shares stories from people who survived the riot. He even appeared briefly in the movie.
Education and Basketball
Learning About Investing
At Princeton, John Rogers studied economics. After he graduated in 1980, he worked for a company called William Blair & Company in Chicago. After a few years, with help from his family and friends, he decided to open his own company.
A Star Basketball Player
While at Princeton, John Rogers was a talented college basketball player. He was teammates with Craig Robinson. John was the captain of the 1979–80 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team, which won the Ivy League championship. He was so dedicated to investing that he would often read business journals and call his stock broker from payphones at stadiums! He often says that his basketball coach, Pete Carril, was his biggest influence in college. Coach Carril taught him the importance of being precise and working as a team.
Building a Business: Ariel Investments
Starting His Own Company
John Rogers is the person who started Ariel Capital Management. He launched the company in July 1983 with $10,000 that he got from his friends and family. The Ariel fund became available to the public in November 1986.
Over the years, Ariel Capital Management grew a lot. By November 2000, it had 41 employees. In February 2002, the company had 51 employees and worked with more than 120 large clients, including big names like United Airlines and ChevronTexaco. By April 2005, clients like Wal-Mart and PepsiCo had joined. By 2008, the company had over 100 employees. In 2008, the company changed its name to Ariel Investments, LLC.
John Rogers has also been on the boards of directors for other big companies in Chicago, such as Exelon and Bally Total Fitness Corporation. He has also written regularly for Forbes magazine for many years. His articles often give advice on personal finance and are called "The Patient Investor."
Giving Back to the Community
Supporting Education
John Rogers cares a lot about education. He and his company helped create the Ariel Community Academy. This school focuses on teaching students about money and finance. He has even helped design the school's lessons and brings students to real board meetings to learn. Because of his time and money, 80% of the eighth-grade students from the academy get accepted into excellent high schools in the area.
He also "adopted" a class of 40 sixth graders through the "I Have A Dream Foundation." He spent $200,000 each year to support them. He even planned to pay for college for about 30 of these students.
Public Service and Leadership
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John Rogers is known for his public service. In 2008, he became the first African-American person to win a Woodrow Wilson Award from Princeton University. This award recognized his service to the Princeton community, the city of Chicago, the African American community, and the financial world. In 1994, Time magazine named him one of its "50 leaders under 40."
He has served on the boards of many important organizations, including the Chicago Urban League and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is also a trustee of the University of Chicago. He has been a board member for several very large companies, including Aon Corporation, Exelon Corporation, McDonald's, and Nike.
John Rogers was also a close advisor and fundraiser for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. He helped lead the committee for Obama's inauguration in 2009. He has always pushed for more diversity in top leadership jobs at companies.
Fun Facts and Personal Life
Beating Michael Jordan!
In August 2003, John Rogers actually beat basketball legend Michael Jordan in a one-on-one game! This happened in Las Vegas at Michael Jordan's "Senior Flight School," a camp for successful businessmen. The game was 3-2, and John Rogers won. A video of the game was shared in 2008, showing Rogers, who was wearing glasses, scoring on Jordan. After the game, actor Damon Wayans joked to Jordan, "How do you feel about getting humiliated by a man five years older?"
Honors and Recognition
Since late 2011, the basketball court in the main gym at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools has been named after John Rogers. He graduated from this school and played basketball there. His name was put on the court, and it was officially named in his honor in February 2012.
John Rogers has a daughter named Victoria with his former wife, Desirée Rogers.
