Ramzi Habibi: The Man Behind a Finance Career and a Private Life With Masiela Lusha
Rain had been falling for days in New Zealand when Ramzi Habibi and Masiela Lusha were preparing for their wedding. The couple had chosen a mountain peak for the ceremony, but the bad weather threatened their plans. Fortunately, the skies cleared just in time, and they married on 28 December 2013.
For Masiela, the wedding was another memorable moment in a life already familiar to television audiences. Her husband, however, came from a completely different world.
Ramzi Habibi had made his name in finance rather than entertainment. He worked with investments, bonds and business lending, eventually becoming a Managing Director at Oaktree Capital Management.
More than a decade after their wedding, the couple have two children. Masiela remains the better-known face, while Ramzi continues a career that has received far less attention outside financial circles.
Quick Bio: Ramzi Habibi
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ramzi Habibi |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Finance Executive and Investment Professional |
| Famous For | Career at Oaktree Capital Management and marriage to Masiela Lusha |
| Current Employer | Oaktree Capital Management |
| Current Position | Managing Director |
| Department | Global Private Debt |
| Joined Oaktree | 2008 |
| Previous Employer | Lehman Brothers |
| First Role at Oaktree | Associate, U.S. High Yield Bond Group |
| Former Senior Role | Co-Director of Research |
| University | Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania |
| Education | Bachelor of Science in Economics |
| Professional Qualification | Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Masiela Lusha (Actress and Author) |
| Wedding Date | 28 December 2013 |
| Wedding Location | Coromandel Peak, New Zealand |
| Children | Two – Landon and Arabella |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
Who Is Ramzi Habibi, and What Do We Know About His Background?
Ramzi Habibi is an American investment professional who works at Oaktree Capital Management. He is also the husband of Masiela Lusha, the Albanian-American actress remembered for playing Carmen Lopez in the television comedy George Lopez.
His professional background is much easier to trace than his childhood.
There is little reliable public information about his parents, siblings or early years. His exact date of birth has not been confirmed through authoritative sources, despite several biography websites publishing different details.
What is known is that he studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, one of America’s well-known business schools.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, concentrating on finance and operational and information management.
Those subjects deal with how money moves through businesses, how companies make decisions and how information can help organisations work more effectively.
Habibi later earned the Chartered Financial Analyst qualification, usually shortened to CFA.
It is not a qualification that someone receives simply by attending a short course. Candidates must pass three levels of examinations and meet professional experience requirements.
The programme covers subjects such as investment analysis, business finance and managing financial risk.
For Habibi, the qualification fitted the career he was building. He wanted to work in a field where understanding companies and their finances mattered more than public recognition.
His education gave him the starting point, but much of his practical experience came through the jobs that followed.
From Lehman Brothers to Oaktree Capital Management
Before becoming a senior investment executive, Habibi worked at Lehman Brothers, the American investment bank that collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis.
He spent two years as an investment banking analyst in the company’s Financial Sponsors group.
The work involved studying businesses and financial transactions, particularly those connected with investment firms. Analysts in such roles examine figures, prepare reports and help teams understand the financial position of companies.
Habibi had also completed summer internships at SHUAA Capital in Dubai and PepsiCo in New York.
These experiences gave him a look at different businesses before he moved further into investment management.
In 2008, he joined Oaktree Capital Management as an associate in the U.S. High Yield Bond group.
It was a difficult period for the global financial industry. Banks were struggling, markets were unsettled and investors were watching closely for signs of further trouble.
Habibi’s new work focused on high-yield bonds.
Put simply, these are bonds issued by companies that generally carry greater borrowing risks. To attract investors, they often offer higher interest payments than bonds issued by financially stronger businesses.
The higher return can be appealing, but it comes with a greater chance of losing money.
That is why research matters so much. An investor needs to know whether a business can repay its debts, how much money it earns and what might happen if trading conditions become difficult.
Habibi spent more than ten years working in Oaktree’s high-yield bond group.
Over time, his responsibilities increased. He became Co-Director of Research, a position that placed him in a leadership role within the research team.
He later moved into Oaktree’s Global Private Debt strategy, where he became a Managing Director.
As of October 2026, the firm’s official website continues to list him in that position.
It has been a long career at one company, beginning with an associate role and developing into senior management.
What Does His Job at Oaktree Involve?

Most people are familiar with banks lending money to businesses. Private debt works a little differently.
Instead of borrowing only from a bank, a company may arrange a loan directly with an investment firm or another private lender.
These loans can help businesses expand, buy other companies or manage their financial needs.
For investment firms, however, lending money is never simply about finding a business that wants it.
They must consider whether the borrower can repay the loan, whether its earnings are reliable and how much risk the investment carries.
Oaktree’s Global Private Debt strategy operates in this part of the financial market.
The company does not publish details of every decision Habibi makes in his role, so it would be wrong to credit him personally with particular deals without evidence.
His career history does show experience across bond research, credit analysis and private debt.
These areas are closely related, and his years working with high-yield bonds provided useful experience for his later position.
Ramzi Habibi and Masiela Lusha’s Marriage
While Habibi was developing his finance career, Masiela Lusha was already known to millions of television viewers.
Born in Albania, Masiela moved to the United States as a child and eventually entered the entertainment industry.
Her role as Carmen Lopez in George Lopez brought her widespread recognition. She also developed an interest in poetry and writing, publishing books alongside her acting work.
The couple began dating before announcing their engagement in 2013.
They have shared few details about how they first met, but their wedding became one of the better-documented moments in their relationship.
On 28 December 2013, they married at Coromandel Peak in New Zealand, near the scenic Wānaka area.
The location was an unusual choice for an actress with Hollywood connections.
Instead of a crowded celebration attended by dozens of entertainment personalities, Masiela wanted a small wedding with close family members.
In a January 2014 interview with the Albanian newspaper Panorama, she explained that keeping the ceremony small was important to her.
She also described the weather problems leading up to the wedding.
Rain had continued throughout their stay, raising concerns that the helicopter needed to reach the mountain location might not be able to fly.
On the wedding day, the weather improved.
The ceremony went ahead, and the couple were able to enjoy the mountain setting they had chosen.
Masiela also spoke warmly about her new husband during the interview.
She explained that he was not involved in the entertainment industry. Rather than seeing their different careers as a problem, she felt they could learn from one another.
That difference has remained part of their public story.
Masiela’s work takes her into a world of television productions, interviews and creative projects. Habibi’s career centres on financial research and investment management.
They have occasionally attended public events together, but there has been no sign of Habibi seeking an entertainment career of his own.
Their marriage has continued since 2013, with their family growing in the years that followed.
Their Two Children and Family Life Today
The couple waited several years after their wedding before welcoming their first child.
Their son, Landon, was born in February 2018.
Masiela shared the news publicly, celebrating the arrival of her baby boy. It was a new experience for the actress, who had previously written about preparing for motherhood.
Before Landon’s birth, she contributed personal articles to the parenting website The Bump, including reflections on pregnancy and her hopes for her future son.
In October 2020, the family welcomed another child, a daughter named Arabella LeMont.
Masiela announced her arrival with a photograph and a loving message.
Although the actress occasionally shares family moments, much of the children’s everyday life remains private.
Habibi rarely speaks publicly about fatherhood. As a result, most of the information available about their family comes from Masiela’s interviews and social media posts.
One interesting detail emerged in July 2026.
Speaking to interviewer Adam Mendler about her career and personal experiences, Masiela discussed how she and her husband approach mistakes when raising their children.
She said they call setbacks “happy accidents”.
Rather than treating every mistake as a failure, the couple encourage their children to appreciate the effort they have made and learn from what happened.
It was a rare public comment about how they approach parenting together.
Masiela has continued working on creative and business projects, while Habibi remains involved in investment management.
Their family arrangements, home routines and private activities are not widely documented.
What Is Ramzi Habibi’s Net Worth?
With Habibi holding a senior position at a major investment firm, it is understandable that people are curious about his earnings.
Managing Directors in investment management can earn substantial salaries, sometimes accompanied by bonuses and other forms of compensation.
But that does not mean his personal wealth can be calculated from his job title.
Oaktree Capital Management has not publicly confirmed his individual salary, and there are no reliable financial disclosures establishing the value of his personal assets.
Some celebrity websites suggest that he is worth several million dollars. Those estimates vary and lack enough evidence to be treated as facts.
His exact net worth therefore remains unknown.
His career progression is documented, but his personal finances are a different matter.
Conclusion
For many people, Ramzi Habibi’s name first became familiar through his marriage to Masiela Lusha. Yet his work in finance tells a substantial story of its own.
He moved from investment banking at Lehman Brothers to a long career at Oaktree Capital Management, gaining experience in credit research before reaching a senior role in private debt.
His personal life has followed a different course from the publicity surrounding his wife’s acting career. They married in 2013, became parents to two children and have kept much of their home life away from public attention.
Nearly eighteen years after joining Oaktree, Habibi continues to be known professionally for his work in finance. To television audiences, he may always be Masiela Lusha’s husband, but that is only one part of who he is.
Also read: Elizabeth Huberdeau: The Private Life of John Cena’s First Wife
(FAQs)
Who is Ramzi Habibi?
He is an American finance executive and CFA charterholder. He works as a Managing Director at Oaktree Capital Management and is married to actress and author Masiela Lusha.
When did Ramzi Habibi marry Masiela Lusha?
The couple married on 28 December 2013 at Coromandel Peak in New Zealand. Their wedding was a small family ceremony rather than a large Hollywood celebration.
How many children does Ramzi Habibi have?
He has two children with Masiela Lusha. Their son, Landon, was born in February 2018, and their daughter, Arabella, arrived in October 2020.
Where did Ramzi Habibi go to university?
He attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a degree in Economics. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst qualification.
How old is Ramzi Habibi?
His exact date of birth has not been reliably confirmed, so his age cannot be stated with certainty. Some online biographies provide estimates, but these should not be confused with verified information.
Is Ramzi Habibi still working at Oaktree Capital Management?
Yes. As of October 2026, Oaktree’s official leadership biography identifies him as a Managing Director in its Global Private Debt strategy.



