In this episode, we explore the world of hedge funds with Paul Podolsky, who spent 16 years at Bridgewater (the world's largest hedge fund) before launching a writing, publishing, and podcasting career. We ask: how did hedge funds evolve, and how are they different from traditional asset managers? What are the different types of hedge funds? How do they raise and deploy capital? What are the entry and exit opportunities? And...what does it truly mean to be a "pain sponge?"
Paul Podolsky spent 20+ years on Wall Street with most of that time at Bridgewater Associates, the biggest hedge fund in the world. Prior to that he worked.as a journalist in 1990s Russia, writing for Novaya Gazeta, The Moscow Times, and Hearst. He graduated from Brown University, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts in association with Harvard), and the Maurice Thorez School of Foreign Languages. He currently has a podcast of his own called 'Things I Didn't Learn in High School', is the author of "Raising a Thief" and "Master Minion" and has a Substack where he writes "Practical, jargon-free description of what is going on in international affairs and financial markets that ties directly to my asset allocation, with full transparency into my wins and losses."
You can follow him at the links below.
Follow Paul Podolsky:
Twitter @paul_podolsky
Instagram @paulpodolsky
www.paulpodolsky.com
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