A founder and investor with a history of industry disruption.
“It’s safe to say that the music industry as we know it today was uniquely shaped by the pioneering mind of Willard Ahdritz. His foresight regarding the coming changes in the marketplace combined with his ability to reimagine standard practices has been a dynamite recipe for commercial success. For these reasons and more, we’re honored to present Willard with Music Biz’s Innovator Award.”
— Portia Sabin, President, Music Business Association
Willard Ahdritz is the Managing Partner of Ahdritz Capital.
Willard started out as a musician and the founder of Telegram Records & Publishing, which put Stockholm on the international music map. After completing his MBA, he spent seven years at L.E.K. Consulting in London, where formulating strategies and M&A execution gave him the tools for approaching problems with an analytical mindset.
Willard fundamentally transformed the music industry by founding Kobalt Music Group in 2000 and pioneering three interconnected innovations: real-time global technology infrastructure for royalty tracking and payment, a creator-first ownership model that allowed artists to retain 100% copyright ownership, and the establishment of music royalties as an institutional asset class in 2010.
By 2020, when Willard became part time chairman of KMG, including AWAL and digital society amra, the company had grown to $700 million in annual revenue, represented 40% of the top 100 songs in the US and UK, shifted an estimated $10 billion back to creators through higher payouts and retained ownership rights, and created a $20 billion music rights industry with players like KKR and Blackstone.
Today, Willard is building on this work as an investor and advisor to younger companies, drawing on his passion and experience to work with entrepreneurs who have transformative potential and who are motivated by wanting to make their industry fairer and more transparent.
A decade of experience in finance and media investment banking
Stephen Langer brings a decade of experience in finance and media investment banking to Ahdritz Capital.
Stephen Langer is a Partner at Ahdritz Capital.
Most recently, Stephen was a Vice President at Lazard, where he joined the firm's TMT team and later became a founding member of its Media, Entertainment & Sports practice. In that role, he helped lead the buildout of Lazard's music coverage while also advising clients across film/TV, sports, talent agencies, and diversified media. Prior to Lazard, Stephen began his career at Fitch Ratings, covering credit research and analysis for financial institutions.
Outside of Ahdritz Capital, Stephen is a lifelong musician and producer. Occasionally, he likes to DJ, just like everyone else.
Stephen holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and an M.B.A. from UCLA's Anderson School of Management.
A founder and investor with a history of industry disruption.
“It’s safe to say that the music industry as we know it today was uniquely shaped by the pioneering mind of Willard Ahdritz. His foresight regarding the coming changes in the marketplace combined with his ability to reimagine standard practices has been a dynamite recipe for commercial success. For these reasons and more, we’re honored to present Willard with Music Biz’s Innovator Award.”
— Portia Sabin, President, Music Business Association
Willard Ahdritz is the Managing Partner of Ahdritz Capital.
Willard started out as a musician and the founder of Telegram Records & Publishing, which put Stockholm on the international music map. After completing his MBA, he spent seven years at L.E.K. Consulting in London, where formulating strategies and M&A execution gave him the tools for approaching problems with an analytical mindset.
Willard fundamentally transformed the music industry by founding Kobalt Music Group in 2000 and pioneering three interconnected innovations: real-time global technology infrastructure for royalty tracking and payment, a creator-first ownership model that allowed artists to retain 100% copyright ownership, and the establishment of music royalties as an institutional asset class in 2010.
By 2020, when Willard became part time chairman of KMG, including AWAL and digital society amra, the company had grown to $700 million in annual revenue, represented 40% of the top 100 songs in the US and UK, shifted an estimated $10 billion back to creators through higher payouts and retained ownership rights, and created a $20 billion music rights industry with players like KKR and Blackstone.
Today, Willard is building on this work as an investor and advisor to younger companies, drawing on his passion and experience to work with entrepreneurs who have transformative potential and who are motivated by wanting to make their industry fairer and more transparent.
A decade of experience in finance and media investment banking
Stephen Langer brings a decade of experience in finance and media investment banking to Ahdritz Capital.
Stephen Langer is a Partner at Ahdritz Capital.
Most recently, Stephen was a Vice President at Lazard, where he joined the firm's TMT team and later became a founding member of its Media, Entertainment & Sports practice. In that role, he helped lead the buildout of Lazard's music coverage while also advising clients across film/TV, sports, talent agencies, and diversified media. Prior to Lazard, Stephen began his career at Fitch Ratings, covering credit research and analysis for financial institutions.
Outside of Ahdritz Capital, Stephen is a lifelong musician and producer. Occasionally, he likes to DJ, just like everyone else.
Stephen holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and an M.B.A. from UCLA's Anderson School of Management.