David Alan Tepper (born September 11, 1957) is an American billionaire investor and hedge fund manager, founder, and president of Appaloosa Management, a global hedge fund based in Miami Beach, Florida, specializing in distressed debt investments. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the second of three children to Harry Tepper, an accountant, and Roberta, an elementary school teacher, in a Jewish family, Tepper grew up in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh's East End. He attended Peabody High School in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood and demonstrated early aptitude for numbers, memorizing baseball statistics. Tepper earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1978 and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University in 1982. His career began in finance at Equibank, Republic Steel, Keystone Mutual Funds, and Goldman Sachs before founding Appaloosa Management in 1993, where he achieved remarkable returns, particularly during financial crises, compounding at over 25% annually. Tepper is renowned for bold contrarian bets on distressed assets, earning him a net worth exceeding $16.7 billion and recognition as one of the world's richest individuals. In 2018, he purchased the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise and later acquired Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer, becoming a prominent sports team owner committed to building competitive organizations and community engagement through his philosophy of 'Learn it, Earn it, Return it.' He has partnered financially with figures like Paul Singer and maintains influence in investment circles. A prominent political donor and philanthropist, Tepper has donated significantly, including $67 million to Carnegie Mellon University in 2013, leading to the naming of the Tepper School of Business, and $55 million earlier. He established The David A. Tepper Charitable Foundation, focusing on education, healthcare, and hunger relief in the Carolinas, Florida, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh areas, inspired by his mother's teaching career and childhood lessons in giving back.