Bruce has been the most prominent figure of Hedge Fund investments.
In 2011, Bruce retired from Caxton Associates. Presently, he is the Chairman of CAM Capital. According to Forbes, Bruce Kovner is net worth $5.5 Billion.
Personal Life:
First Wife:
In 1973, Bruce married artist Sarah Peter, in a Jewish ceremony in Connecticut. He drove a taxi. Bruce and Sarah divorced in 1998.
Second Wife:
In 2007, Bruce married Suzie, daughter of Robert Fairchild and great-granddaughter of the famous Louis Fairchild. Brothers Louis and Edmund Fairch ild founded Fairchild Fashion Media now a division of Condé S. Suzie got B.A. from Colgate University.
Suzie is Co-Chairman of Kovner Foundation.
She works on developing strategies, identifying partners/programs, and evaluating results. As the Director of Success Academy Charter Schools, Suzie works for children attending schools. Suzie provides need-based scholarships to US military students attending educational institutes. As the Director of Thanks USA, Suzie reinforces family needs of armed services. Suzie is Administrative Board member of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre.
As trustee, Suzie works at Carnegie Hall. She leads Ensemble Connect, collaboration of Carnegie Hall and Juilliard School for supporting musicians. Suzie setup National Theatre of Great Britain, USA where she is Director of Development. She joined Board of American Associates of the National Theatre.
Assets of Family and Children:
Bruce and Suzie live in Hobe Sound, Florida. They have three children. The family owns Willard D. Straight House on Fifth Avenue, New York City.
Bruce Kovner Childhood and Education:
In 1945, Bruce was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. His grandparents were immigrants from Poland and Russia. In 1953, family moved to California where his father was a mechanical engineer. Bruce excelled as a student and athlete. He was elected a leader while he was 16 years.
Bruce attended Harvard on a scholarship and received his BA. He studied Government and Economics in Cambridge. Bruce studied in Kennedy School of Government to study Ph.D. in Political Science. Bruce was the first V.O. Key-Fellow student of Joint Centre. This was made of Urban Studies of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked with first director, Daniel Patrick Moynihan. After four years of course work and examinations, Bruce left.
Bruce Kovner: A Self-Made Man:
In 1976, Bruce self-studied history, nature of currencies, commodities and debt markets for over a year. He became interested in commodities market and studied at nights after work. In 1977, Bruce made his first commodities trade with $3,000 from his MasterCard and succeeded. His returns were more than $20,000. Bruce succeeded in trading his own capital so he was hired as a senior trader. He was hired in Commodities Corporation, proto-hedge fund, later bought by Goldman Sachs.
In 1983, Bruce founded Caxton Associates and served CEO for 28 years retiring in 2011. Bruce and Peter D’Angelo used macroeconomic methods on trading financial and commodity markets. Caxton was world’s largest and successful macro hedge funds. The assets were $12 billion with average net annual return of over 21%. After retirement, Bruce is the Chairman of CAM Capital that sees his private assets and the Kovner Foundation.
Bruce Kovner Philanthropist:
As a philanthropist, Bruce often donated. His major recorded ones were late 1980 and 1990. He gave to American Enterprise Institute, Washington. He gave to his friend and Harvard classmate, Chris Demuth, serving as president. In 1988, Bruce joined AEI where for six years he served Chairman of Board and is active.
Bruce served Board of Juilliard School as the Chairman of Board of Trustees since 2001. Bruce is Vice-Chairman of Lincoln Centre. His leadership in Bravo Campaign donates $1 billion. Bruce helped renovation of Art centres. Bruce is on Board of Metropolitan Opera. Bruce was on Board of New York Philharmonic.