Ritholtz Wealth Management Becomes 100% Employee-Owned With Decade-Long Succession Plan

Ritholtz Wealth Management, the national RIA overseeing more than $7.6 billion in assets, has officially transitioned to a 100% employee-owned firm through a carefully executed, employee-led succession plan. The move expands ownership to 29 employees, including co-founders, financial advisors, and key personnel, ensuring continuity, independence, and alignment with the culture and values that built the firm. Notably, the transition was completed without any outside capital, preserving Ritholtz’s status as one of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S.

Decade in the Making: Succession on Their Terms

Founded in New York City in 2013 by Barry Ritholtz, Josh Brown, Michael Batnick, and Kris Venne, Ritholtz has grown from a small firm emphasizing transparency and client-first advice into a national firm with 15 offices and a broad client and media presence. Over the past decade, the firm intentionally developed internal leadership talent while maintaining full independence, culminating in this employee ownership milestone.

“This succession plan secures our shared legacy on our own terms,” said Barry Ritholtz, co-founder, chairman, and CIO. “Expanding ownership to more of our people keeps this firm independent, aligned, and focused on the only thing that matters — doing right by our clients. That’s the model that got us here, and it’s the model that will carry us forward.”

Leadership Continuity and Culture

Under the plan, day-to-day leadership remains in the hands of co-founders Josh Brown (CEO), Michael Batnick and Kris Venne (managing partners), and President Jay Tini, while Ritholtz continues to shape the firm’s investment philosophy and public voice as CIO.

Ritholtz’s public presence remains significant: he authors the popular financial blog The Big Picture, hosts Bloomberg Radio’s Masters in Business podcast and his short-form podcast At The Money, and has authored two books: Bailout Nation (2009) and How Not To Invest (2025).

“The expectation is that every day I come to the office, it feels as magical as the year we founded Ritholtz Wealth Management,” Ritholtz added.

Building on a Legacy of Client-First Advice

From the outset, Ritholtz was designed to answer only to clients, not outside investors. This structure ensures that client service, independence, and culture remain central, even as ownership expands.

“When we launched the firm, Barry and I were involved in day-to-day management by default. As we’ve grown, we were deliberate in developing our own talent and thoughtfully recruited an amazing team,” said Josh Brown. “This transition keeps ownership and leadership exactly where they belong: with the people who live the culture every day. This is the Ritholtz Way.”

The Ritholtz Way Forward

The employee-led succession plan reflects a broader philosophy: success isn’t measured by size, but by the quality of advice, client outcomes, and culture preservation. By retaining full independence and expanding internal equity participation, Ritholtz ensures that the firm can continue to prioritize education, planning, asset allocation, taxes, costs, and discipline for clients, for generations to come.

“I turn 65 this year, and I wanted all of our clients, employees, and partners to understand that we have a plan to continue forever, without private equity dollars, regardless of my age,” Ritholtz said. “We never set out to become the largest firm. Just the best.”

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