[1][2][3] His mother, Susan Manello (née Strauss), died on October 22, 1967, when Harry was ten years old.

[4] He and his siblings were raised by their aunt Elsa (née Strauss) and her husband Allan Zelnick (died in 2013).

[2][5][6] Strauss Zelnick graduated in 1975 from Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey and studied psychology and English at Wesleyan University from 1975 until 1979, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors.

[2][3][5][7] During his time at Wesleyan, he was the national public relations director for the Coalition of Independent College and University Students (COPUS).

[12] Zelnick is the chief executive officer and managing partner of ZMC, a private equity investment firm based in New York City specializing in leveraged buyouts and growth capital.