Bridgewater Associates (Dream Place)

Hi all,
I was recently thinking what is the best place for me to be, if I had an option to choose. Would it be GS, Citadel, Fidelity, KKR, etc ? I came up with an idea that Bridgewater Associates. Yeah, probably it is so because of the fund size and reputation.
But, I would love to find out if it is just an illusion (the place is not that cool as I imagine), or it is indeed the best place in finance. I know some of you might say it depends on what I plan to do in the future, but generally speaking is it the most outstanding of all ?
Thoughts ?

 
Best Response
SYRYMFLASH:

Hi all,
I was recently thinking what is the best place for me to be, if I had an option to choose. Would it be GS, Citadel, Fidelity, KKR, etc ? I came up with an idea that Bridgewater Associates. Yeah, probably it is so because of the fund size and reputation.
But, I would love to find out if it is just an illusion (the place is not that cool as I imagine), or it is indeed the best place in finance. I know some of you might say it depends on what I plan to do in the future, but generally speaking is it the most outstanding of all ?
Thoughts ?

I believe you are quite new to this 'finance' thing. You effectively answered your own question, no one can compare an investment bank, a hedge fund, a more traditional AM shop and predominantly a PE firm as well as another hedge fund objectively on anything. It's just silly gloating at best of what is 'more reputable'. +MS

 

Hey, you could argue in one way that Icahn is weird, yet he makes hundreds of millions in just one deal. Weirdness then cannot be a criteria to choose who your right boss is. Maybe weird people are 'actually' the smartest amongst us and we on the other hand are average? Isn't that's why they are the best in what they do?

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
 

They want people to think they are different. Being levered and long bonds was a great trade in 2011, not so much the last two years. Being really weird or having a strong "culture" does not automatically make you a better investor.

This is a fund that grinded out 10% returns over a long period of time then lit it up in 2011. They really only have 3-4 trades on at any given time and of the thousands of employees, a small handful are involved in investment decision making.

 

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