STILLWATER, OKLA. - Michael E. Novogratz of New York, N.Y. has been elected to the Hall of Outstanding Americans by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

Novogratz will be inducted, along with other special award winners and the Class of 2007 Distinguished Members, at the 2007 Honors Weekend Banquet and Induction Ceremony June 2, 2007 in Stillwater, Okla.

The Hall of Outstanding Americans demonstrates wrestling's pride in those who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, the arts and humanities, among others. New classes of these remarkable achievers are inducted annually.

Novogratz has been a leader in the financial services industry. He is co-President of Fortress Investment Group, a $29 billion global asset management firm, where he heads its global investing strategies. Fortress is headquartered in New York and has affiliates with offices in Dallas, San Diego, Toronto, London, Rome, Frankfort and Sydney.

Previously, he served 11 years with Goldman Sachs, where he became a partner in 1998. He served as the firm's head of risk in Asia, as well as becoming president of Goldman Sachs Latin America in 2000. Novogratz business success is attributed to the discipline and focus he learned through wrestling.

Before entering finance, Novogratz was a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army. He served in the Army ROTC while an undergraduate at Princeton.

He was a 1983 high school state wrestling runner-up in Virginia, competing for four years on the varsity and serving as team captain. At Princeton Univ., he was selected as team captain, and was a two-time All-Ivy selection, EIWA place winner and NCAA qualifier (1986, 1987). In his senior season, he advanced to the round of 12 at the NCAA Championships.

He serves as Chairman of the Board for the Beat The Streets Program in New York City, which funds and develops middle school and high school wrestling teams in city schools. The program, which is operated through the Metropolitan Wrestling Association and is affiliated with USA Wrestling, has touched the lives of hundreds of young people throughout the city.

Novogratz has helped raise over $2 million for the program, the largest contribution to any sport in the history of New York City's public schools. The grant supported the creation of 60 new middle school and 35 new high school wrestling programs. The New York City Department of Education agreed to add five additional high schools to the program, bringing the total number of new programs within three years to 100.

Novogratz is also a significant contributor to Princeton University wrestling as well as the College Sports Council.

He is admired for his leadership skills, work ethic and dedication to giving back to others and making the world a better place.

He and his wife have made a commitment to philanthropy, focusing on both domestic and international issues. Novogratz chairs the School for Strings and serves on the Board of Directors of the Acumen Fund, a non-profit organization focused on eliminating global poverty.