Arthur Levitt

Arthur Levitt joined The Carlyle Group as a senior advisor to the firm. He advises Carlyle management on strategic business matters and is deeply involved in navigating compliance and regulatory issues. Levitt emphasizes the importance of understanding Sarbanes-Oxley regulation for corporations to thrive and advocates for transparency and accountability in pension accounting to address the pension crisis affecting U.S. businesses and employees.

Before joining Carlyle, Levitt served as the 25th chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). First appointed by President Clinton in July 1993, the President reappointed him to a second five-year term in May 1998. In September 1999, he became the longest-serving chairman of the Commission, emphasizing investor protection throughout his tenure. Levitt left the Commission in February 2001.

Aside from his role at Carlyle, Levitt is a Bloomberg Board Member and a member of the Bloomberg Board’s Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee. He also advises five emerging technology companies: Mirror, BitPay, Blockchain, Affirm, and PeerIQ, bringing his extensive experience to these innovative enterprises. Additionally, Levitt serves on the advisory board for the RAND Center for Corporate Ethics and Governance and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Levitt's commitment to investor education and protection was evident during his time at the SEC. He created the Office of Investor Education and Assistance and established the SEC's website, which provides public access to corporate filings and investor education materials. He conducted over 40 investor town meetings across the country, listening to and addressing investors' concerns. His presentation "Take On The Street" is based on his best-selling book, where he offers practical investment advice and reveals tactics for wise investment.

Before joining the SEC, Levitt owned Roll Call, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill. From 1989 to 1993, he served as the chairman of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and from 1978 to 1989, he was the chairman of the American Stock Exchange. Levitt worked for 16 years on Wall Street prior to joining the American Stock Exchange.

Levitt graduated from Williams College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, in 1952 before serving for two years in the Air Force. His best-selling book, Take on the Street: What Wall Street and Corporate America Don't Want You to Know/What You Can Do to Fight Back, was published by Pantheon Books in October 2002.