Nearly 60 years ago, Alfred Winslow Jones devised the idea of combining short-selling with long investments and adding leverage to the mix. It’s doubtful the erstwhile journalist expected his nervy invention to spawn a nearly $2 trillion industry, or that hedge funds would become part of the pop-culture lexicon. To honor Jones and the hedge fund pioneers who followed him, our sister publication Alpha has created the Hedge Fund Hall of Fame, which was unveiled with a 37-page feature in its special Fifth Anniversary issue in June, including exclusive interviews with and photographs of these financial titans. We’re pleased to present excerpts from that package here. On the following pages you’ll meet the first inductees: 14 men who have had an outsize impact on the growth of the hedge fund industry. All have had spectacular long-term success, and each one stands out for helping to turn a cottage industry into a major global business. For more on the Hedge Fund Hall of Fame, check out the June issue of Alpha magazine or visit institutionalinvestor.com/halloffame.aspx, where you’ll find additional photos and the full interviews with the first year’s class of inductees.
