Investment Manager 100m Fund Comp - Seeking Opinions

Here’s the situation, my previous MD is looking to start a 100m. He has all the connections, operating partners, and already have real commits from various investors.

He’s more of a relationship guy so he called me up and I’ve been helping him with all the grunt work, for free as of now. So basically all the structuring, term sheets, decks etc. 

Fee structure for the fund is 1% management fee, and 20% carry with a hurdle. 1+5 year fund, we hope to return 2x moic to the investors. 
 

Now things are moving forward, and we are starting to get set up the structure and getting the lawyers involved to paper everything. 
 

Now comes the compensation question. How much economics should I ask for with this situation? Was thinking perhaps 1/3 of the carry and a 150k base. Not too sure if this is too high or low here. 
 

We are envisioning to run this super lean with low over heads, maybe just an accounting personnel. 

9 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some insights and considerations for your compensation in this scenario:

Compensation Structure:

  1. Base Salary:

    • A base salary of $150k seems reasonable, especially given the lean structure and your significant involvement in the groundwork.
  2. Carry Participation:

    • Asking for 1/3 of the carry (20% of the fund's profits) might be ambitious but not unreasonable given your contributions. This would translate to approximately 6.67% of the total carry.

Key Considerations:

  • Fund Size and Performance:

    • With a $100m fund, the management fee at 1% would be $1m annually. This needs to cover all operational costs, including your salary and any other personnel.
    • The carry (20%) with a 2x MOIC (Multiple on Invested Capital) target means if the fund performs well, the total carry pool could be substantial.
  • Lean Operations:

    • Given the plan to run the fund with low overheads, your compensation should reflect the additional responsibilities you might take on due to the lean team.

Example Calculation:

  • Carry Pool:

    • If the fund achieves a 2x MOIC, the total profits would be $100m (excluding the return of the initial $100m).
    • 20% carry on $100m profits = $20m.
    • 1/3 of the carry = $6.67m over the life of the fund.
  • Annualized Carry:

    • If the fund has a 5-year life, your annualized carry would be approximately $1.33m, assuming the fund hits its target.

Final Thoughts:

  • Negotiation:

    • Ensure you negotiate a compensation package that reflects your significant contributions and the lean operational structure.
    • Consider the timing of carry payouts and any vesting schedules.
  • Market Comparisons:

    • Compare your proposed compensation with similar roles in the industry to ensure it aligns with market standards.

By structuring your compensation with a solid base and a significant portion of the carry, you align your incentives with the fund's performance, which is crucial for both you and the investors.

Sources: What is your compensation in Real Estate Finance?, What is your compensation in Real Estate Finance?, Do you think it's justifiable to ask for 25% of the GP for being the fund raiser for the projects?, Data: Average Private Equity Compensation and Carry from Associate to Managing Partner, Carry in REPE

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

No chance is he giving up 1/3 of the carry to an analyst/associate level even if it is a tiny fund and you're the first employee. Maybe you can make a case for 10%, but I know 50+ recent grads with 2 years IB experience that would do it for no carry.

 

Op here, Ignore my title but I’ll be VP level at my current shop, and of course jumping would prob ask for a title bump. The investment team will be literally 2 people, me and him. So I carry is definitely not out of the question.

 

Planning to do this with low overheads and investors are all close clients from the chairman so will probably make it work. Probably just have a shared office and maybe an accounts person I reckon.

 

Yeah that’s hopefully the plan! Nice title bump but with some added risk. 

 

Lol you aren't a partner unless you're supporting yourself/not taking a salary and putting up equity. You don't have the work experience to expect partner.

 

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