- A secretive $120 billion hedge fund founded by a Cold War codebreaker has vastly outperformed Warren Buffett over the past three decades.
- A dollar invested in Renaissance Technologies' flagship Medallion fund in 1988 would reportedly be worth $27,000 net of fees in 2018, dwarfing a $107 return from Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway over the same period.
- Scroll down to see Renaissance's 10 biggest holdings.
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A secretive $120 billion hedge fund, founded by a Cold War codebreaker and math professor, vastly outperformed Warren Buffett over the past 30 years.
Renaissance Technologies, which was created by Jim Simons, counts Chipotle and Facebook among its largest investments. It recorded an annualized, post-fee return of 39% at its flagship Medallion fund between 1988 and 2018, according to "The Man Who Solved The Market: How Jim Simons launched the Quant Revolution," a new book by Greg Zuckerman.
The 39% gain - 66% before fees - trumps returns of about 16% at Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and 10% from the S&P 500 over the same period.
Medallion's remarkable performance means a dollar invested in the fund in 1988 would have grown to about $27,000 net of fees by the end of 2018, dwarfing a $107 return from Berkshire Hathaway and a $20 total return from the benchmark index.
While the Medallion fund is restricted to Renaissance employees, the hedge fund's remarkable track record means its trading patterns are worth noting. Its 10 biggest investments, based on a SEC filing for the quarter ended 30 September, are listed below.
