EMPYREAN CAPITAL PARTNERS

John Chapple is the sole principal and decision-maker. He is president of Empyrean Capital Partners and personally evaluates all direct investments and fund commitments. The office does not employ a separate CIO or investment committee, reflecting a single-family-office governance model where the ultimate decision authority rests with the wealth creator.

Deal flow originates primarily through Chapple's personal network, built over two decades in executive operating roles and board service. His board affiliations — including Syracuse University, Hawkeye 360, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society — sit alongside relationships formed during his tenure as CEO of Nextel Partners and earlier telecom ventures. The firm does not rely on placement agents, broker-dealer networks, or inbound cold outreach from emerging managers.

Empyrean is a single-family office managing capital exclusively for John Chapple and his family. It has never accepted external limited partners, never registered as an investment adviser, and does not market itself as a fund. While its venture activity resembles a growth-stage investment practice in sector focus, the legal structure and capital base are those of a private family investment office rather than a pooled venture capital vehicle.

The wealth originated from the sale of Nextel Partners, a wireless telecommunications affiliate of Sprint Nextel. Chapple co-founded the company and served as its CEO; the business was sold to Sprint Nextel in 2006 in a transaction valued at approximately $9.8 billion (per SEC filings, 2006). Those proceeds form the core of Empyrean's permanent capital base.

Yes. Chapple and his wife established the Chapple Family Foundation, a separate philanthropic entity that makes grants focused on education, health, and community organizations. The foundation is legally distinct from Empyrean Capital Partners and is not used as a co-investment vehicle or deal-sourcing channel, maintaining a clear boundary between the investment office and the family's charitable giving.

Empyrean concentrates on late-seed through growth equity stages in technology, with a preference for companies that have achieved product-market fit and are scaling revenue. Chapple has expressed a bias toward concentrated commitments — writing larger checks into fewer companies and fund managers — rather than building a broadly diversified early-stage portfolio. This stage strategy is consistent with a single-family office seeking capital efficiency without the overhead of managing dozens of small positions.

Empyrean does both, though the venture portfolio appears weighted toward fund commitments to established managers. Confirmed relationships include Tailwater Capital, a Dallas-based energy private equity firm where Chapple has served on the advisory board. Direct investments occur selectively, typically in companies where Chapple can also contribute operating or governance expertise through a board seat.