From taking things slow in July 2024 to a PDA-filled vacation a year later, Reese Witherspoon and Oliver Haarmann have been exploring new grounds with their romance. The Legally Blonde star is getting back on the dating scene after her 12-year marriage to Jim Toth ended in a divorce in 2023. However, Witherspoon has implied she’s prioritizing her children and job over building another relationship.
Aside from being in the spotlight for his high-profile relationship with the Hollywood star, Oliver Haarmann is a successful businessman in his own right. As a private equity financier, he has invested in several industries, including sports. He is also known for his philanthropic exploits. Haarmann prefers to stay away from media attention, but his current romance with Witherspoon doesn’t exactly guarantee privacy. Explore everything you need to know about Reese Witherspoon’s boyfriend below.
Oliver Haarmann’s Background and Education
The only available information about his early life is that Oliver Haarmann was born in September 1967. His nationality is German, but he spent his formative years in the United States. Haarman’s business ventures have also taken him to various locations worldwide. While his early educational background is not publicly known, Haarmann graduated from Brown University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and international relations. He later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1996.
Oliver Haarmann is a Prolific Financier with an Estimated Net Worth of $440 Million
From 1999 to 2010, Oliver Haarman worked at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) in London, United Kingdom. His position as a managing director and partner at the global private-equity and investment company is his earliest recorded career endeavor after college. In 2010, Haarman left KKR to become a co-founder of Searchlight Capital Partners in London alongside Eric Zinterhofer and Erol Uzumeri. Haarmann is still performing his role as a co-founder, overseeing the firm’s billion-dollar assets.
Haarmann is also a director of the advertising agency Ocean Outdoor and the footwear company Hunter Boot. The German financier has also ventured into sports. He acquired a 10% stake of the New York Islanders in December 2023, making him a minority owner of the National Hockey League team. In addition to thriving as a businessman, Haarman is known for his philanthropic tendencies. He is a trustee of Brown University and supports the Surgo Foundation, IntoUniversity, and Art Angel.
He Has Two Children from a Previous Marriage
Like Witherspoon, Haarmann has been married before and fathered two kids. He shares his two sons with his ex-wife, Mala Gaonkar, a fellow financier. The exact details about when they got married is not known to the public, but they split before he began dating Witherspoon. Gaonkar has also moved on with her love life and is in a relationship with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.
With two degrees from Harvard, Oliver Haarmann’s ex-wife took the finance industry by storm. Gaonkar has worked for firms such as Boston Consulting Group, Chase Capital Partners, and Lone Pine Capital in esteemed positions. She is the head of investment at SurgoCap Partners. A Gates Foundation Veteran, Gaonkar is also giving her best to charity, including taking the Giving Pledge.
When Did Oliver Haarmann and Reese Witherspoon Meet?
Oliver Haarmann and Reese Witherspoon have not made any official statement about their romance. As such, the details of how they met and when they began dating are mostly subject to speculation. They were first spotted together while having dinner at L-Artusi in New York in July of 2024. Haarmann reportedly flew Witherspoon in with his private helicopter the previous day. This came a year after Witherspoon’s divorce from her second husband, Toth, was finalized.
The couple was reportedly taking things slowly when rumors about their romance began to spread. “She enjoys it but doesn’t want it to be a big focus. She’s busy with work and her son,” a source told PEOPLE at the time. However, they seem to have taken their relationship to a new level since then. In July 2025, just a year after being spotted on a dinner date in New York, Witherspoon and Haarmann were seen having a good time on a yacht off the coast of Saint-Tropez. They were getting very cozy with each other, hugging and kissing most of the time. Haarmann has also been close to Witherspoon’s children. Wedding bells might not be ringing for the two, but they are soaking in the moment.
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