Singapore Fund Chief: Runs, Naps, Billions

FengHe Fund Management has seen its assets under management skyrocket to almost $9 billion, with a bold target of $20 billion within two years. The Singapore-based firm, founded in 2012, achieved a 27% net return last year, partly due to successful bets on tech giants. Its founder, Matt Hu, employs an unconventional management style, notably including pre-dawn running sessions with analysts to offer guidance and feedback.

Portfolio managers do not exist at FengHe; instead, analysts recommend investments, but all final decisions are made by Hu alone. He monitors all communications via Slack and conducts daily reviews. Analysts work in individual glass-walled offices to prevent groupthink. The firm's rapid expansion faces challenges, including managing a single-decision-maker system for billions in assets and the career progression concerns of its analysts.

Hu, who aims to rival global finance icons like Warren Buffett, has implemented strict risk-control measures. He emphasizes that his experience has been transformed into a disciplined process, with himself acting as the "speed camera" to enforce rules. The firm, despite its name, has only about 22% of its exposure in Chinese bets, focusing instead on global technology supply chains and other sectors.

To address growth limitations, FengHe is exploring AI-powered trading suggestions, with an AI analyst already managing $100 million in Japanese equities. However, a human specialist recently outperformed the AI during market volatility, highlighting the ongoing debate between human intuition and algorithmic decision-making in finance.