Awhile back, I profiled a few of the Super Quants. I've collected a few articles on what they're up to lately.
James Simons/Renaissance. Simon's firm is hiring a programmer for a starting salary of $125K-$250K, even as "tantalizing tidbits" emerge from a lawsuit against former employees. They are also launching a $25B managed futures fund, which Mebane Faber deconstructs in superb detail. Some wonder if Simons is running out of alpha in other funds, but still manages to leap from #26 to #6 in assets. (Peak alpha of $30 billion, anyone?). Some wonder if Simons, Shaw and others are just glorified market makers. Meanwhile, Simons donates to the Hillary campaign and puts some cash in a buyout fund. Simons says he was lucky and offers inspiration and a lot of tidbits on how he did it (from the article, I infer that Simons basically started in his late 30s, giving hope to old quants everywhere). Before they were Super Quants: Me and Jim Simons - groovy, but no comment.
D.E. Shaw. Shaw aquires insurer James River, will invest $1B in India (more here), and contemplates a private equity fund (read the article for good commentary and why this may be the trend of the future), while Lehman aquires a 20% stake in Shaw, and Shaw places #4 in assets.
Ken Griffin/Citadel. Grave dancer or white knight? (Citadel buys Sowood assets - more here) Griffin: aiming to be a titan. In Will a Hedge Fund become the next Goldman Sachs (meanwhile luring employees from them), lots of detail on Griffin are provided, including how Citadel has become the leading options market maker, bought Amaranth assets, and is "arrogant, unapologetic and extremely smart." More on Citadel's plans here, with indications they are planning to go public. Meanwhile, he opposes new taxes on himself (a statement for which he was skewered by Bill Gross), and maxes out donations to Obama.
Meanwhile Elwyn Berlekamp solves a problem about hats.
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