How do hedge fund people make so much money?
Hedge funds make money by charging a management fee and a percentage of profits. The typical fee structure is 2 and 20, meaning a 2% fee on assets under management and 20% of profits, sometimes above a high water mark. For example, let's say a hedge fund manages $1 billion in assets. It will earn $20 million in fees.
Hedge fund makes money by charging a Management Fee and a Performance Fee. While these fees differ by fund, they typically run 2% and 20% of assets under management.
Key Takeaways
Hedge funds seem to rake in billions of dollars a year for their professional investment acumen and portfolio management across a range of strategies. Hedge funds make money as part of a fee structure paid by fund investors based on assets under management (AUM).
Hedge funds are widely regarded as offering significant earning potential. Junior level employees are able to achieve salaries upwards of $500k in some places, and the best fund managers can see their net worth ultimately reach nine or even ten figures.
They pay managers handsomely.
So if the fund manages $1 billion and it generates a 25% return ($250 million), the manager is paid 2% of $1 billion ($20 million), plus 20% of the returns exceeding a 5% hurdle, or $40 million. This is how successful managers of big hedge funds become billionaires.
In 2023, the five highest-paid hedge fund managers were Ken Griffin of Citadel, Izzy Englander of Millennium Management, Steve Cohen of Point72 Asset Management, David Tepper of Appaloosa Management, and James Simon of Renaissance Technologies.
In terms of everyday responsibilities, the main duties of a fund manager include building financial models, meeting with clients, and analysing investments. At a higher level, they oversee the hedge fund's daily operations. This might include risk management, marketing, sales, and cash flow forecasting.
Because of the higher levels of risk associated with hedge funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) places regulations on who can invest in them. To invest in hedge funds as an individual, you must be an institutional investor, like a pension fund, or an accredited investor.
Some strategies, such as managed futures and short-only funds, typically have higher probabilities of failure given the risky nature of their business operations. High leverage is another factor that can lead to hedge fund failure when the market moves in an unfavorable direction.
Successful hedge fund managers routinely pocket millions of dollars in total compensation, with the top fund managers earning paychecks in the billions of US dollars[1]. This doesn't include how much they personally stand to benefit from their own investments in the funds they manage.
Are hedge fund jobs risky?
Risk: All else being equal, hedge funds are probably riskier because they do not control the assets they trade, and it's very difficult to beat, or even match, the performance of the public markets.
Pay at this level depends almost 100% on performance, which means that PMs could make a few hundred thousand USD… up to $1 million or even $10 million+. On average, though, a PM at a mid-sized fund that performs decently might earn between $500K and $3 million.
Hedge fund analysts typically work between 60 and 70 hours a week. Working on the weekend is not common but it certainly does happen from time to time.
In fact, he owned and managed his own hedge fund before he took charge of Berkshire Hathaway. He introduced Buffett Partnership, an early version of hedge funds, in 1957, and it was wildly successful. In the 12 years he managed the fund, Buffett delivered compounded annual returns of 31.6 percent before fees.
BlackRock manages US$38bn across a broad range of hedge fund strategies. With over 20 years of proven experience, the depth and breadth of our platform has evolved into a comprehensive toolkit of 30+ strategies.
In total, Forbes counts 47 hedge fund billionaires who have a combined net worth of $312 billion, up slightly from the same number in 2022 who were worth $310 billion.
- Certainly not all, but a pretty significant majority are indeed based in the New York / Connecticut area, which is home to some of the largest and most important funds, such as Bridgewater, Millennium, Point72 and others.
- Chicago is also home to several notable funds and prop trading shops.
Hedge fund managers often have a master's degree or even a Ph. D. in finance, mathematics, economics, financial engineering, quantitative finance, programming, marketing, or business administration. Others have advanced degrees in a specialty such as engineering or accounting.
Working for a hedge fund can be a rewarding and lucrative career path for those with certain skills and qualities. These skills typically include a strong understanding of the financial markets, financial analysis, and risk management.
How many hours a week do hedge fund people work?
On average, hedge fund traders often work long hours, ranging from 50 to 80 hours per week. The specific workload can depend on the fund's strategy, market conditions, and individual firm policies. During peak periods or when significant market events occur, traders may put in even longer hours.
In some cases, the hedge fund will keep securities in a prime brokerage account with a major dealer in order to borrow money against them. Money will also be deposited with Futures Commission Merchants or OTC margin accounts to collateralize trades.
You generally must be an accredited investor, which means having a minimum level of income or assets, to invest in hedge funds. Typical investors include institutional investors, such as pension funds and insurance companies, and wealthy individuals.
Hedge funds have costly fees that normally include an asset management fee of 1% to 2% and a 20% performance fee on profits. Hedge fund managers eventually end up with more money than their clients because of those fees, so most investors are better off with other investment products.
Citadel, which ranked second in 2023, made $8.1 billion in profits after bringing in a record-breaking $16 billion in 2022. Its $74 billion in gains since inception rank it as the most successful hedge fund in history.
