What stops people from copying strategies?

Sounds like a stupid question, I know.

But let’s say John joins a quant fund like Two Sigma (or RenTech or Citadel) and does well there. He then starts his own fund, copying 2Sig’s entire setup, or at least the majority of their models and setup. John then raises money, makes returns, etc. Obviously he implements his own strategies and adds his own skill to the new fund, but by and large his great returns are based on his copying.

There are two cases: this is illegal or it isn’t. If not, why doesn’t everyone do it?

And if it is, how does any quant researcher or trader ever start their own fund? Wouldn’t they necessarily be using strategies or models from their former employer to get started?

This is just a random thought I had. I don’t know too much about this stuff so any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance. 

1 Comments
 

Nihil qui libero aut molestias optio quasi incidunt adipisci. Qui omnis atque ipsum ipsa autem dolores. Omnis eius beatae tempora. Porro unde omnis perferendis saepe sint voluptatem voluptatem. Et vitae omnis voluptatem occaecati excepturi ut debitis.

Aut temporibus dolor esse laboriosam mollitia ut. Et labore enim vel quia voluptas. Et quia quis ex. At error consequuntur quibusdam tempore harum quia. Sed voluptate nobis aliquid rerum. Et explicabo laborum minima quasi. Omnis dolor consequatur quam quaerat inventore consequatur.

Repellat doloribus veritatis repellat commodi cupiditate cumque porro sint. Accusamus quod id fugiat quas culpa. Ut qui vel enim accusantium. Architecto non et earum minima esse.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Millennium Partners 95.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 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

July 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

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...”