Leon Black
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg
Leon Black, who abruptly stepped down as CEO last month Apollo Global Management Inc., said he had made payments for years to keep a consensual affair a secret and that allegations about the episode on social media had nothing to do with his departure.
Black, 69, denied allegations made by Guzel Ganieva on Twitter, who wrote in low-profile posts in mid-March, “I was sexually harassed and abused by him for years” and eventually “forced” to sign a nondisclosure agreement in 2015. Black issued a nondisclosure agreement. made a statement after the New York Post reported that at least four Apollo board members were aware of her tweets by the time he handed over his post on March 21, citing unspecified health concerns for himself and his wife.
“I foolishly had a consensual affair with Ms. Ganieva that ended more than seven years ago,” Black said in the statement Thursday. “Any accusation of harassment or other improper conduct to hair is completely made up. The truth is, I’ve been extorted by Ms. Ganieva for many years and made significant amounts of money to her, based on her threats to go public about our relationship, in an effort to save my family from public embarrassment. “
Black previously planned to step down as CEO of the company he co-founded in late July. He said that, on the advice of his counsel, he had asked the criminal authorities a few weeks ago to investigate Ganieva.
“This is entirely a personal matter,” he said. “This issue has nothing to do with Apollo or my decision to leave the company.”
Ganieva, reached by Bloomberg, said via text message, “I support what I said in my tweets on March 17.” She said she would refer further questions to a lawyer.
– With the help of Heather Perlberg