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This newsletter explores the enigma behind G-Research, a London-based quantitative research and technology firm. Founded by the reclusive Peter de Putron, the firm employs around 1,000 people who develop trading strategies for an offshore hedge fund. Despite London's status as a global financial hub, few homegrown institutions rival US giants like Citadel or Blackstone. G-Research stands out as a notable exception.
De Putron, an Eton and Oxford graduate, is known for his extreme privacy. He has no public photographs and has been described attending events in a spy-like disguise. His investments span AI-powered defence companies and the Williams F1 team. Companies under his control have donated nearly £1mn to the UK's Conservative Party. Non-resident in the UK, de Putron's visits are brief and conducted via private jet. He grew up in Guernsey and has lived in Jersey, the Cayman Islands, and Mustique.
De Putron launched his hedge fund in 1997 with backing from George Soros. Following the financial crisis and his father's death in 2009, he returned client funds and focused on proprietary trading. The assets under management remain unknown, even to most employees, but insiders praise the fund's outsized performance and enviable Sharpe ratio.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing