A Guide to the Hedge-Fund Elite -- New York Magazine

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The Rankings

Chase Coleman
Tiger Global Management
Size: $3 billion
Style: Stock picker
Location: Manhattan
Tiger Cub. Also a descendant of Peter Stuyvesant, the man who among other things built the actual “wall” in Wall Street. Likes small-cap stocks.
Old Hand: “A good global investor who is developing his business slowly and methodically.”
Hedge-Fund Investor: “He’s doing more than just technology now, some sort of venture-capital effort.”

William von Mueffling
Cantillon Capital Management
Size: $8.1 billion
Style: Stock picker
Location: Manhattan
Made name at Lazard investing in tech and telecom, and credited with putting the bank’s hedge-fund business on the map. Quit in 2003. Collects black-and-white photographs and is on the board of the International Center of Photography.
Hedge-Fund Investor: “He left Lazard high and dry. They should have tried harder to keep him.”
Young Buck: “A rising star, growing fast.”

(Photo: Michael Stravato/The New York Times/Redux)

John Arnold
Centaurus Energy
Size: $3 billion
Style: Trader
Location: Houston
Former Enron trader whose firm was accused of manipulating energy markets by U.S. senator Dianne Feinstein. Hired many employees out of Enron ashes. Expertise in natural gas futures. Said to have been a big beneficiary of Amaranth blow-up.
Hedge-Fund Investor: “The dude just got married on Richard Branson’s private island. He also happens to be an awesome energy trader.”

(Photo: Patrick McMullan)

Eric Mindich
Eton Park Capital
Size: $6.2 billion
Style: Trader
Location: Manhattan
Youngest partner in the history of Goldman. One of many to leave the fold and start a hedge fund. Sterling reputation earned in Goldman’s risk-arbitrage department. At risk if he doesn’t put up big numbers soon.
Old Hand: “It’s too soon to tell with Mindich. He started big, but his recent results haven’t been great. Everybody is wondering what’s up.”
Young Buck: “Largest new launch of a hedge fund in history at the time.”

Peter Thiel
Clarium Capital Management
Size: $1.9 billion
Style: Trader
Location: San Francisco
Rare hedge fund that doesn’t charge fixed management fee, taking only 25 percent of profits. Co-founded PayPal. Libertarian who founded the Stanford Review. Side job as venture capitalist with investments in Friendster, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Executive-produced the movie of Christopher Buckley’s Thank You for Smoking.

(Photo: Patrick McMullan)

David Ganek
Level Global Investors
Size: N/A
Style: Stock picker
Location: Greenwich, Conn.
One of the first SAC employees to head out on his own. Known as much for art collection as he is for investing. Big fan of Jeff Koons. Owns an apartment in 740 Park.
Old Hand: “Good money manager with solid results.”
Young Buck: “Shares a fondness for art with former boss Stevie Cohen.”