Rich and Well Fed

Despite the fact that I am only 25 years old, sometimes extravagant riches and notoriety can make me feel old. The many cigar clubs that I frequent, along with some of the world’s most expensive gin joints anywhere in the world, always seem to employ personnel that cite my fame and wealth as an excuse to call me ‘sir’. I must confess, however, that the respect and reverence that accompany me as the man running the largest and most successful hedge fund in the world tend to overshadow the displeasure I feel at being called ‘sir’. That, and the fact that my annual salary has increased nearly $1M every year since 2003 to $17M and will likely continue to do so in the future.

As President and CEO of MoneyUp Inc., I find that what constitutes a ‘day in the life’ of my own schedule varies drastically as compared to the average working individual. My day starts at 5 a.m. when I wake up, and within a half an hour I have begun my hour-long workout in my personal training facility. Designed for the 2000 sq. ft. upper floor of my high-rise apartment in midtown New York City, it has all the necessary equipment for vigorous, full-body workouts. I am in the office no later than 7 a.m.

I eat the majority of my meals at the office, and in fact, I experience most of my life from within the bounds of MoneyUp’s four floors of operations in the finest commercial space on Wall Street. Along with my Chief Financial and Chief Information Officers, and some of the senior trading and sales associates, breakfast is usually from 8:00-9:00, sometimes going until 9:30. We all order from whichever restaurant we like, since they all remain open for us, even during the earlier hours of the day, likely because they are so well compensated for doing so. Between five or six of us, meals generally cost two to three thousand dollars, including a tip of course. Some of our favorites are fresh oysters, always caught the day we order them, and various sushi and Italian restaurants across the city. Lunch and dinner usually take place at the office as well, with dinner being the most expensive of our three daily fests. Lobster and Angus steak can really hike the price of a meal ticket. Still, productivity throughout the day is always a priority for our employees.

While I and other top executives are afforded the luxury of top tier dining at work, the remainder of those employed at MoneyUp Inc. must earn such accolades. Throughout the day analysts and associates are required to pitch two or three ideas to me and the CFO concerning purchases, partnership mergers, or acquisitions that they feel represent excellent opportunities for the firm’s profitability. The extensive years of industry experience, and success, between myself and the CFO, are the only qualities that I feel are necessary to adequately judge the value, or lack thereof, of any given investment proposition, so he and I ultimately control the flow of capital in and out of MoneyUp Inc. Aside from signing the occasional form or hosting a luncheon for potential clients, these are the activities that sum up the bulk of my day. And at least twice during the workweek, the first order of business after breakfast is 18 holes at Liberty National.

As the day winds down and dinner concludes, I and the other higher-ups gather to discuss opportunities that we may have been exposed to during the previous few days. Whether from outings to the golf course, introductions at social events, or simply from chit-chatting with other professionals in the industry, the potential for opportunities in the world of finance abound. Sometimes the basis for our decision to enter or exit a particular investment is based solely on a comment from another professional who deals in that specific sector. Since our understanding of the general economic and monetary condition of major world and developing economies is always up to date, a tidbit comment like this is often all we need. Still, this rarely happens and generally even an inclination to invest is thoroughly researched by our analysts. Once this meeting has come to an end, people start to head home for the day.

By the time I get home around six or seven in the evening, my wife and I are free to do whatever we want. Sometimes we go out for drinks and dessert, or to the movies, and other nights we’ll take the yacht out for a midnight cruise. All the great food I have at work always puts me right to sleep at night and come 5 a.m. the next morning I always wake well-rested to do it all over again.