Mr. Kauffman was a co-founder, principal and member of the board of directors of Fortress Investment Group LLC, an alternate asset management firm, from its founding in 1998 until 2012. During his tenure at the firm, Mr. Kauffman served as a member of Fortress’s management committee and was responsible for the management of Fortress’s European private equity investment operations primarily focused on distressed debt, real estate and asset based/financial services businesses. Prior to co-founding Fortress, Mr. Kauffman was a managing director of UBS from 1997 to 1998, and prior to that a principal at BlackRock Financial Management Inc. 

Since his departure from Fortress in 2012, Mr. Kauffman has brought his extensive business experience to a variety of private investments through his private investment company, Aldel Capital.

Recent activities include sponsoring $115mm Aldel Financial Inc (ADF), a special purpose acquisition company, which merged with Hagerty Inc (HGTY) in December 2021. Mr. Kauffman also has significant interests in professional auto racing and international collector car markets.