It declined to comment on its investment strategies but it is known to invest globally and across many asset classes. French Gates hired a law firm to investigate the woman's claims and the culture at Cascade, and Larson was placed on leave. Ecolab respects your privacy and security, so weve updated our Privacy Policy to comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) effective May 25, 2018. Basically we are short on the yield curve right now, Larson says, again reflecting his wary view of the markets. Mr. Larson has been chief investment officer for Mr. Gates and the Business Manager of Cascade Investment, L.L.C. This has meant that more money has been created to go into the foundations mission to fight disease and improve education in the developing world. He is the chief investment officer for The Gates Foundation and Bill Gates' fortune, through the Cascade Investment fund. Larson runs Gates' secretive investment company, Cascade Investment, and manages Gates' personal wealth and that of his charitable foundation. This change is not only happening among high-end investment firms; lawyers and accountants too are coining new phrases. We want to make sure you get the most out of our platform. And for good reason. At the time, the portfolios both for the foundation and for the Gateses personal money mostly consisted of bonds, with some bets on private equity, commodities, Florida real estate and British hotels. Thank you for accessing our content on the Topio Networks Market Intelligence Center. [8], Cascade has managed Gates' stake in Canadian National Railway since 2013. 5 free lookups per month. Business data for Cascade Investment, LLC: This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 14:28. Bill Woodson, north America head of the family office group at Citi Private Bank, says: While family offices take different forms, the challenges they face are very similar and, as a result, the ultimate solutions they adopt as they evolve tend to be similar, although addressed with varying levels of focus, staffing and professionalism.. [9] This constituted one of the investment firm's largest holdings. Michael Larson is in charge of Cascade Investment and was reportedly accused of sexual harassment in 2017. The couples divorce announcement last month cracked the curated image. Larson has served on the Board of Trustees at Claremont McKenna College, Lakeside School and the United Negro College Fund. Evans was involved in bank fraud and even served a stint in jail, where Gates visited him. My most important job is asset allocation, he says. Please speak to a licensed financial professional, One Familys Finances: How Bill Gates Invests His Money, How Bill Gates Hired His Investment Advisor, Who manages Bill Gates $82 bn? You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Contact. Director of Ecolab since 2012. Larson, often clad in a pink shirt, shies from the limelight and rarely attends conferences for family office professionals. Today’s top 694 Summer Internships jobs in Paris, le-de-France, France. So whats in the portfolios? Its unclear where French Gates is keeping her money, including the more than $3 billion that has been transferred from Cascade, and whether shes now setting up a family office of her own. Unflattering details spilled out, including a report that Larson had allegedly harassed and bullied some employees. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Its basically the same strategy most individual investors engage in.. Larson, 61, has admitted that he sometimes used harsh language, as alleged in the Times reporting, but denied that he mistreated staff. All Rights Reserved. Once loosely described as family offices or multi-family offices, this linguistic shift aims to put a finer point on their capabilities as independent advisers on family wealth.. Michael Larson is the Business Manager of Cascade Investment, L.L.C. I think he had just fired some people, and I thought he would be difficult to work for. Of the nonbond portion of Gates portfolio, another $250 million is in what Larson calls real stuff.. Larson was only 16 when he graduated high school and could not attend the Coast Guard Academy until he was 18. Formerly a director of AutoNation, Inc. Ecolab USA The Times published a bombshell report Wednesday detailingLarson's alleged inappropriate workplace behavior at Cascade Investment, which manages Bill Gates' and Melinda French Gates' fortune. It so happens that one of Larsons interests is media stocks. While trying to buy a Chicago-based money management firm, Larson received a call from a head hunter to work for Bill Gates. At Ecolab Inc., we promise to treat your data with respect and will not share your information with any third party. Michael Larson, manager of Gates' $170 billion who was supposed to keep them out of the news Bill and Melinda Gates' divorce announcement cracked the curated image. This article about a financial services corporation of the United States is a stub. Bill Gates hired Larson 22 years ago to take over the investment of his personal wealth, which was about $5bn at the time. [6] Many of them are business-owning families or those so-called financial families, who have sold operating businesses. Michael Larson has for decades managed Bill Gates' fortune, which is worth nearly $130 billion. Michael Larson is Bill Gates' private money manager and runs Gates' personal investment company Cascade Investment LLC, funded solely by Gates. When he graduated from high school, he wanted to join the Coast Guard but couldnt because he was only 16. Being the investment chief for one of the worlds biggest family fortunes might seem like an enviable job for an investor mulling creative bets. Mr. Larson has been Chief Investment Officer for Mr. Gates and the Business Manager of Cascade Investment L.L.C., since 1994. [1] In 2021, Cascade drew attention due to allegations of toxic work environment caused by Larson. A representative for Gates didnt respond to a request for comment. The high-profile couple announced earlier this month that they would separate after 27 years of marriage. A spokesperson for Cascade said there have been less than five complaints against Larson out of 380 people he's managed. Who is Michael Larson? When people find out that Cascade has made an investment in something, thats not Bill Gates, he said in the Fortune interview. A New York Times report on Sunday said Larson had been accused of sexual harassment in 2017. The foundation's future may or may not include Larson, depending on the outcome of the claims. In an extensive investigation the newspaper said that Michael Larson, who runs Cascade Investments, had created a "culture of fear" where the employee abuses had occurred. The letter requested help from the Gateses in addressing the situation with Larson and threatened legal action if they didn't. Belong anywhere with Airbnb. In addition, Mr. Larson serves as director to a number of closed end funds and mutual funds within the Western Asset Management fund complex. Michael Larson (born October 1959) is an American money manager. The firm also has been involved in currency and commodities trading, venture capital and the development of a property complex in downtown Tampa. NOW WATCH: Bill Gates has a net worth of over $96 billion here's how he makes and spends his money, Larson's alleged inappropriate workplace behavior. Sources told The Times that the woman reached a settlement in 2018, signing a nondisclosure agreement in exchange for a payment. Gates already knew about the conviction, but began looking for someone new after the uproar. Also read: Bill-Melinda divorce forces $50 billion Gates Foundation to weigh changes. Sophie Alexander , Anders Melin and Tom Maloney 22 June, 2021 09:09 am IST Despite his high-profile job, he works hard and successfully to stay out of the public eye Cascade declined to speak for the purposes of this article. To this end they are increasingly sharing their experiences with other families via specialist peer networks, events and publications, and with their advisers, says Tillotson. French Gates rarely attended meetings in Cascades early days aside from the annual in-person gathering, and when she did she tended to be a passive participant, according to one of the people familiar with the firm. Although an actual statement isn't released, it's believed that Larson manages well over $80 billion year to date.[when? Michael Larson leads the Investment office and manages assets for Bill Gates and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust Board of Directors Republic Services Jan 2009 - Present14 years 4. It holds around a 4 per cent stake in Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway investment group, owns 47 per cent of the Four Seasons hotel company and about 6 per cent of Bunzl, the distribution and outsourcing group. India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. Qualifications With more than 40 years of portfolio management experience, Mr. Larson has deep investment expertise and broad understanding of the capital markets, business cycles and capital efficiency and allocation practices. In August, it increased its stake in Strategic Hotels and Resorts to 9.8 per cent. The company delivers comprehensive science-based solutions, data-driven insights and world-class service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, and optimize water and energy use. Theres hardly a worry about fundraising, client withdrawals or onerous regulations. He is the chief investment officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gates' personal investment portfolio. It has also invested in Diageo, the distiller, and JJB Sports, the retailer. Aside from detracting attention from the Gateses, Larsons main mandate has been to invest conservatively try to maximize returns but dont lose money, one of the people said. The outcome of the investigation was not clear, but Larson kept his job, The Times said. Based in Kirkland, Washington, Cascade shies away from media attention. Most of the time, even Bill Gates doesnt know what investments Cascade owns. [5], Larson reportedly directs Cascade's investments through Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, a firm that also manages the portfolios of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other connected entities. Well send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest US news every morning. Michael Larson, the son of an industrial engineer, grew up in North Dakota and then in Albuquerque. [7], With 269,000 acres of farmland (which has been historically countercyclical to the stock market) being held through a wide network of shell companies, Cascade Investment is the largest farmland owner in the United States. It's unclear what percentage Larson gets out of managing a fortune worth more than $100 billion. and Fomento Mexicano Economico, S.A.B. By clicking Sign Up, you also agree to marketing emails from both Insider and Morning Brew; and you accept Insiders. Read More . Larson is the chief investment officer of Gates's family office, Cascade Investments. Family business consulting, private company services and even strategic philanthropy advice have joined the lexicon of wealth management for the extremely rich, she says. Found email list ings include: @cascademgt.com. Hes bright and very inquiring, and has a strong performance record.. From there Larson went to work for Arco doing mergers and acquisitions. Noits Bill Gates, and could he [headhunter named Bert Early] please have the names of 13 references. He also called employees "stupid" and would call their work "garbage," sources told The Times. Cascade Investment paid settlements to at least seven people who . One remarkable feature of the portfolio is how little it changes. Apr 30, 2023 - Rent from people in le-de-France, France from $20/night. is an American holding company and private investment firm headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, United States. The manager had broad leeway from Gates on investment decisions, they both have said. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "One Family's Finances: How Bill Gates Invests His Money", "Meet the man who runs Bill Gates's money", "Still a great job: Making sure Bill Gates stays rich", "Company Overview of Cascade Investment, L.L.C. Apparently Larson didnt have as much as an unpaid parking ticket in his file (has he considered running for office? Cascade doesnt disclose its overall investment performance, but financial reports from the foundation offer clues. ValueWalk also contains archives of famous investors, and features many investor resource pages. de C.V. First, it reflects my view of the markets. He is the Chief Investment Officer for The Gates Foundation and Bill Gates' fortune, through the Cascade Investment fund. The record illustrates the priorities of the uppermost strata of the ultrarich, where investment horizons span generations and riskier bets often dont outweigh the value of a good reputation. [1] Larson subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Chicago at the age of 21. Since 1995, Michael Larson has delivered a compound annual return of 11% for the Gates Foundation and two predecessors, outperforming the S&P 500 stock index by more than one percentage point. Berkshire isnt. Had Larson not had the professional impact he had, it would be a simple yes, he should resign, said Mohamed, whose company helps family offices fill leadership positions. The two, now divorced, are worth a combined $124 billion. The interview was what really sold me on Michael, says Gates. In addition, as a professional investor and as the chief investment officer of Ecolabs largest stockholder, Mr. Larson brings a long-term stockholder perspective to the Board. The foundations assets under management have returned an average of about 8.6% per year since 2001, according to a person familiar with the matter, beating the S&P 500 Indexs average annual 7.5% gain over the past two decades. Mission: Providing a framework to improve your investing PROCESS, while collecting newsworthy information about trends in business, politics and tech areas. FIND MICHAEL LARSON Created on May 09, 2013 by Spoke Edited on May 09, 2013 by Spoke PAGE COMPLETION. Michael Larson is one of the most powerful men in US wealth management you have never heard of. He is the chief investment officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Bill Gates' personal fortune through Cascade Investment. San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley), Total number of current Jobs the person has, CB Rank (Hub): Algorithmic rank assigned to the top 100,000 most active Hubs, Number of news articles that reference the Person. A Cascade representative has said the matters were examined and didnt warrant his dismissal.