Are entrepreneurial exits common from HFs (e.g., start-up, search fund, other), given risk appetite in HF?

I have heard HFs described as the only career in finance where you can be your own boss, run your own book, and entirely control your outcome. High risk, high potential upside. 

Given these attributes and the types of people that HFs attract, are entrepreneurial exits / side projects common? And any examples of PMs who have gone off to do other stuff? (can be anything unorthodox) 

Doesn't seem very common in investment banking or consulting, which makes sense given the risk-adverse personalities these careers tend to attract, but just curious if it's any different for HFs

1 Comments
 

Non sint sed velit rem. Et consequuntur quasi vitae. Adipisci nesciunt qui provident ut explicabo id. Blanditiis error dolores aliquid vel sed amet sint consequatur.

Amet temporibus quo veniam libero numquam id. Dolor quo molestias vitae autem nobis quia magni ea. Et enim sit saepe corrupti. Ut nulla veritatis eos cumque nemo dolor. Numquam est est qui recusandae quaerat aperiam cupiditate. Non quia ut libero quae corrupti.

Eum dolores fuga atque ab. Aut minus corporis et et sed labore suscipit. Velit adipisci debitis vel cum quae. Dicta et quos doloribus laborum eligendi. Vel nihil rerum fugit enim cupiditate. Nulla natus quaerat atque alias.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Millennium Partners 95.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $191
  • Analysts (242) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”