1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:11,319 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. This is Master's in 2 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:16,319 Speaker 1: Business with Barry rid Holds on Bloomberg Radio. This week 3 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: on the podcast, I have a fascinating and extra special guest. 4 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: David Sneinermann has put together an incredible career in fixed income, 5 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: alternative credit, and really just an amazing way of looking 6 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: at risk and trade structure and how to figure out 7 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: probabilistic potential outcomes rather than playing the usual forecasting and 8 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: macro tourist game. He is global head of all credit 9 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: and fixed income and managing partner at Magnetar. They have 10 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: an incredible track record. They've put together a string of 11 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: j huge returns. They are not like any other funds 12 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: that you'll hear me talk about. Their pre unique and 13 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: specific in the world. I found this conversation to be fascinating, 14 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: and even though we kind of wander off into the 15 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: weeds of private credit, it's so informative and so interesting. 16 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: I think you'll you'll really enjoy it. With no further 17 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: ado my discussion with Magnetars David Snyderman. 18 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 2: Thank you very much for having me, Barry. I really 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: appreciate it and I'm looking forward to our conversation. 20 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: I am. Also, I'm very familiar with Magnetar and it's history. 21 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: It's really a fascinating firm in so many ways. Let's start, though, 22 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: talking a little bit about your background. You grow up 23 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: in suburban New Jersey and then you head to Saint 24 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 1: Louis for college. Tell us a little bit about where 25 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: you went, what you studied. 26 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 2: Sure, I grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, so most 27 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 2: people a know home of Bruce Springsteen. You know, my 28 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 2: focus coming out of high school was playing football. I 29 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 2: want to play football at the highest level I could. 30 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: You are not much bigger than me. What made you 31 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: think you could play on the gridiron? 32 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: I don't know. I thought I could, but I definitely 33 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: thought I could at the time, and so I wanted 34 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 2: to play at the highest level possible. My parents were 35 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 2: much more focused on academic institution and so wash you 36 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 2: sort of met both criteria. 37 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: Did you play born college? 38 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 2: I did all four years. It was a lot of fun. 39 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: What position did you play? 40 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 2: I played strong safety, and yeah Division three is the 41 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 2: highest level I could play up, but I loved it. 42 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: Right, So safety you have to be pretty fast, and. 43 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 2: That was the issue. 44 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 1: So but for that you would have gone pro there 45 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: you go. What did you study at Washoe. 46 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 2: Washoo back then? Was it was a great They had 47 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: a great medical school and they still do today. And 48 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: in my family, being a doctor was the highest level 49 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 2: of achievement. So I had an older sister starting medical school, 50 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:45,519 Speaker 2: and I had a relative that is actually a dean 51 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 2: of Duke Medical School. So I had this nice glide 52 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 2: path to be a doctor. 53 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: Right. 54 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 2: So I started off pre med, but I didn't end 55 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: pre med. I found out quickly that's not what I 56 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 2: wanted to do. The hardest part is telling my parents 57 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 2: and especially my grandparents, you know, no more pre med. 58 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 2: So I switched to be an economics major. I graduated 59 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 2: economics with a lot of courseworking accounting and finance. 60 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: Huh. Interesting. So you come out of college, you go 61 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: to Price Waterhouse Cooper and then Coke Industries, where you're 62 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: focusing on convertible securities, merger arm and special situations. How 63 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: do you get from medical school to that? What was 64 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: the career plan? 65 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 2: Yeah? My path was certainly non traditional. I didn't go 66 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,399 Speaker 2: to one of the East Coast Ivy League schools, knowing 67 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 2: I wanted to go to Wall Street. I didn't even 68 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 2: know what Wall Street. Working on Wall Street meant at 69 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 2: the time, So for me, it was much more around, 70 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 2: you know, being around fantastic people and really taking advantage 71 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: of opportunities. It's like you said, I started a price 72 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: waterhouse and I went through a one year rotation there. 73 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 2: So it started with audit, so I saw many companies, 74 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 2: then tax and financial services, so it's a great training 75 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 2: ground to understand how, you know, theoretics went into the 76 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,839 Speaker 2: practical business. From there, I went to Coke Industries and 77 00:03:58,040 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 2: I had a great experience of Coke. I was there 78 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 2: five years. I worked in three different places for them. 79 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 2: So I started in Houston, Texas, and I worked on 80 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 2: their natural gas business. Then this opportunity came up in Switzerland. 81 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: So it's a thirteen thousand person company and there were 82 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 2: going to be five people in Switzerland to manage about 83 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 2: several hundred million dollars more in cash optimization. So I 84 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 2: had the opportunity to be a junior person there. I'd 85 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 2: never left the US before, so I was sat in 86 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 2: the middle of Switzerland and sat there for two years 87 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 2: and worked in that business, and then went to Wichita, Kansas, 88 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 2: which tak Kansas was the home office and there were 89 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: sort of a dozen of us, very simply situated, you know, 90 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 2: all young and hungry. But they had great management at Coke. 91 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: They really encouraged us to start businesses. So I remember 92 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 2: writing the merger our business plan there and then implementing 93 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: the business. So a quick fun fact about Coke at 94 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 2: Magnetar today we have three of my prior bosses that 95 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 2: you know from Coke, so it's pretty neat. But to 96 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 2: answer your question, like, I had a lot of broad 97 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 2: experiences by the time I was in my mid twenties, 98 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: but no real direction on what my career was going 99 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 2: to be. 100 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 1: Where in Switzerland was a Geneva somewhere. 101 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 2: Else it was Frebourg, So a town twenty minutes from 102 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 2: Burnho was a tax free canton. 103 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: Uh huh. 104 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 2: So I was in a town that spoke, you know, 105 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 2: half French and half German and I spoke English. 106 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: So there you go. But no taxes, no income. 107 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,840 Speaker 2: Taxes, no income taxes for the company. 108 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: And then Coke Industries. I don't think a lot of 109 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: people realized one of the largest private companies in the 110 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: United States and maybe even the largest. They're giant energy powerhouse. 111 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: What else does Coke do? 112 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, so when I was there, that had thirteen thousand people, 113 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 2: and that was before they bought Georgia Pacific. I think 114 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 2: now it's probably thirty five thousand people. Immens It's immense, 115 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 2: and so they have many, many different business lines there. 116 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 2: For me, I sat mostly in their internal really an 117 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 2: internal hedge fund, so it was their excess cash. They 118 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 2: borrowed money at live bid at the time, so they 119 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 2: borrowed money very cheaply, and our job was to make 120 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 2: money on that money. 121 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: So you end up as head of global credit and 122 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: senior managing director at Citadel Investment Group. Was that right 123 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: from Coke Industries? That was seven years at Citadel. That's 124 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: supposed to be a tough shop. 125 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: To work at. 126 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 1: What was your experience like there? 127 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 2: It was a perfect job for me at the time, 128 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 2: So I always thought I worked at a high level 129 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 2: of intensity right right. But when I got there, I 130 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 2: realized I was one of many. But I had the 131 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 2: opportunity to work for gentleman Dave Bunning. He was one 132 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 2: of the original few handful of people that started at Citadel. 133 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 2: And Dave was fantastic in so many different ways. A 134 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 2: great leader, a great investor, but really a great person 135 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 2: and he took me under his wing there. It was 136 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 2: a lot of work, but a lot of formidable lessons 137 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 2: came out of my time there. Right. So the first 138 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 2: one that I think about is the investing business itself 139 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 2: is an operating business. So we really have to understand 140 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 2: what we're going to invest in. Value everything in the universe, rank, 141 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 2: order them, and then only can we put together portfolios. 142 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 2: And the second, and this is very credit specific, was 143 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 2: when you own a credit portfolio, your short volatility. So 144 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 2: what that simply means is if you have a dislocation, 145 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 2: you're gonna lose a lot of money, uh huh. And 146 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 2: so to put together credit portfolios, we have to find 147 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: hedges that offset that short volatility. So really learning the 148 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 2: value of options right was probably the biggest lesson coming 149 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 2: out of Citadel. 150 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: So I want to rephrase that for some of the 151 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: less option involve savvy members of the audience. When we 152 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: buy fixed income, we just wanted to be steady and 153 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: pay a divinend and not swing up and down. And 154 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: if it does swing up and down, the odds are 155 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: it's not in your favor. That volatility you can look 156 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: at as an insurance product. If the volatility goes up, Hey, 157 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: we can make a bet that will offset the draw 158 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: down in the bonds. 159 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 2: That's exactly right, all right. 160 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: And you you at Citadel, you were running a convertible 161 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: bond and credit trading desk. Is that what you eventually 162 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: ended up as head of Global Credit? 163 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 2: That's correct. I started there on the convertible bond arbitrage desk, 164 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 2: and then we started capital structure arbitrage, which meant we were, 165 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 2: you know, buying or selling credit and against that buying 166 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 2: and selling equities. And finally we consolidated that together and 167 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 2: I ran that business for Ken and Citadel. 168 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: And some of the folks Ken being Ken Griffin. When 169 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: people say Citadel is a lot of work, you don't 170 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: realize there's a whole other gear you have to move 171 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: into and its next level was that your experience. 172 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 2: It was and for me, I actually loved that part 173 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 2: of Citadel. It was sixteen hour days and it was 174 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 2: six or seven days a week, but you really got 175 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 2: to learn the financial markets there. 176 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: Huh. Interesting. So Magnetar launches in two thousand and five 177 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: with some capital and you joined. You you weren't one 178 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,599 Speaker 1: of the original founders, but you joined not long afterwards. 179 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 2: That's correct. So Alec Litowitz and Ross Lazar founded the firm, 180 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: and you know I did join the day we launched 181 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 2: our main fund. Now, for me, Alec was a known quantity. 182 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 2: He ran equities at Citadel with Dave Bunning, my prior 183 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 2: boss there, and then when I moved up into Dave's spot, 184 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 2: Alec moved out and they started and he spent I 185 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 2: think two years in a noncompete and then started Magnetar. 186 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 2: Him and Ross Lazar co founded the firm, and they 187 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 2: had a vision to co found the firm, and I 188 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 2: bought into the vision immediately, and Alec always did a 189 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 2: great job of laying it out right. And first was 190 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 2: we're going to have a culture of collaboration. So back then, 191 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 2: you probably remember in two thousand and five, you know, 192 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 2: there were a lot of what they call pod shops, 193 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 2: so they give individual asset allocation to people and they'd 194 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 2: go invest their money. This was going to be a 195 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,199 Speaker 2: multi strategy vehicle, so we'd have credit, we'd have equities, 196 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 2: we'd have hedge fund strategies, but with no silos. So 197 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 2: we're going to work together and put best opportunities into 198 00:09:59,200 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 2: the portfolio. 199 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: So you have people from Coke Industries with you. You 200 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: have people from Citadel. Did those prior employees have a 201 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: piece of you guys? Did they seed you, did they 202 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: invest you? Or was it just a clean break and 203 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: we're off on our own. 204 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 2: It was a clean break. And Ross Lazar came from 205 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,119 Speaker 2: the fund of Funds World and he was the primary 206 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 2: money raiser and business builder there and so he did 207 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 2: a fantastic job. I think were the largest launch of 208 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 2: two thousand and five with about two point three billion dollars. 209 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: How long did it take you to get up and running? 210 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 1: Were you felt, oh, this is really all the pieces 211 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: are in place. 212 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a good question and funny funny you asked 213 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 2: that question because we talk about it often around Magnetar. 214 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 2: You know, I started and I hired three or four 215 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 2: people that I started with, and Ross Lazar, right, and 216 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 2: again he's a he's my partner, my close friend, and 217 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 2: a great business builder. Two weeks into it, he came 218 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 2: to me and said, what's the first investment, Like, when 219 00:10:55,679 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 2: are you going to start investing? And I said to Ross, look, 220 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,559 Speaker 2: we were gonna build the systems in infrastructure to prepare 221 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 2: to invest first, and. 222 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 1: I need a computer and an internet netline and maybe 223 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: a trader to help us out. 224 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 2: That's exactly what what Ross was saying. And he very 225 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 2: politely said to me, you know, you're here to invest, 226 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 2: not to build software. And so he I think he 227 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 2: stopped by my desk for the next nine months every 228 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 2: single day and asked the same question. But it truly 229 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 2: took us nine months to build the systems in infrastructure 230 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 2: just to be investment ready. 231 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: Wow, that's amazing nine months. And I have to ask 232 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: why Evanston in Illinois? I mean, I like Lumel, Natty's 233 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: and super Dog as much as the next guy, but 234 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: why the middle of the Illinois suburbs the Chicago suburbs. 235 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, so it was just north of the city and 236 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 2: it's across the street from Northwestern, so that would be 237 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 2: the draw. You know, the train lines in there, so 238 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 2: you can recruit people from the city. But it was 239 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 2: probably a little more selfish, like we all lived on 240 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 2: the north shore of Chicago and so it was an 241 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,439 Speaker 2: easy commute for us to work, and so that that's 242 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 2: where we started the firm. 243 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: And that is really a lovely part of the world 244 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: on the lake. It's such a manageable, easy city to 245 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: operate within. I mean, the winters are a little cold, 246 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: but still it's a lovely place. 247 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 2: It's a great quality of life in Chicago and outside 248 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 2: of Chicago. 249 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,439 Speaker 1: So only a few years later, we're right in the 250 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: teeth of the Great Financial Crisis. How did you guys 251 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:32,440 Speaker 1: navigate that? 252 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,679 Speaker 2: We were very fortunate and we performed quite well in 253 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 2: our credit strategies, which which certainly we can talk about. 254 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:43,079 Speaker 2: We had both long and short credit products, and we 255 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 2: had a long voltary position, meaning meaning we protected the 256 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 2: balance sheet very well if there was a dislocation. And 257 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 2: I think that went back to some of the prior 258 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 2: lessons from prior firms, like we really need to have 259 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 2: portfolios that we protect the balance sheet and make sure 260 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 2: that we're able to stand up in difficult environments. 261 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:04,839 Speaker 1: I have noticed that a lot of firms that describe 262 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: themselves as hedge funds really aren't very hedged. You guys 263 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: operated pretty fully hedged it most of the time, right. 264 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 2: We really did. And the systems in infrastructure we built 265 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 2: were not only to measure risk, but to manage that risk, 266 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 2: and so we'd find good investments both on the long 267 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 2: and short side. 268 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,839 Speaker 1: So even if you have a position that that's long 269 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,679 Speaker 1: you have an offsetting or matching position, or do you 270 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: just hedge out that long position with a short bet. 271 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 2: So there's a quality of earning's question embedded, and I 272 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 2: think what you said, and that's we're trying not to 273 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 2: take macro level bets. Those for us are low quality bets. 274 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 2: And so what we're trying to take is idiosyncratic bets, 275 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: meaning we're focused on one factor or're betting on that factor. 276 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 2: Then we're going to hedge out all of the macro 277 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 2: risks around the portfolio. 278 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: Huh. Really interesting. So we were talking about you guys 279 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: launched a few years right before the financial crisis. I 280 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: wanted to talk about a couple of trades from that era, 281 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: perhaps most famously, you guys put on a CDO bet, 282 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: a collateralized debt obligation bet that was designed to do 283 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: well if housing made some extreme moves and it was nondirectional. 284 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: It was hedge. Tell us a little bit about the 285 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: magnetar CDO bet from the financial crisis. 286 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: I talked about setting up the infrastructure to prepare to invest, 287 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 2: and we looked at every asset class. So we looked 288 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 2: at corporates, we looked at mortgages, we looked at credit cards, 289 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 2: and what we found in the mortgage market is something 290 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 2: you don't read about in textbooks. We found that we 291 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 2: could invest on the longside in what they called the 292 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 2: equity piece or the most risky piece of a CDO, 293 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 2: and we could short the next level up, so the 294 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 2: mezzanine piece, and we could short two or three times 295 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 2: the amount. But what was super interesting was we were 296 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 2: getting paid to hold an option that never happened. 297 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: Right, Options cost you money, and that's the old joke. 298 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: Option traders never die, they just expire worthless. 299 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 2: That's exactly right. In this case, we were going to 300 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 2: hold an option that we were going to get paid 301 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 2: fifteen to twenty percent a year. 302 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: Though, oh really, that's real money. 303 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 2: So you never see that and you never read about that. 304 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 2: But that's the way the markets set up. It was 305 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 2: just too fragmented. You had people that were willing to 306 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 2: buy pieces of these structured products because of the ratings, 307 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 2: and on things that weren't rated, no one was willing 308 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 2: to buy. So we took the other side of that trade. 309 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: So you bought the unrated portions and you shorted the 310 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: rated portions. That's correct, that's very contrary that's very interesting. 311 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: How did you identify that opportunity? That's such a talk 312 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: about idiosyncretic niche trades? How did you figure that out? 313 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 2: The firm was built on finding white spaces, and so 314 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 2: I remember back back in two thousand and five when 315 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 2: we first started, you know, we'd think about the banks. 316 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 2: The banks would have an equity trading desk and they'd 317 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 2: have a debt desk, and they'd both value the same companies, 318 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 2: and both sides of the firm with vlume completely differently. 319 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 2: And so for us, those are exactly the opportunities we 320 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: were looking for. But we didn't find it in the 321 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 2: corporate markets. We found it in the mortgage market. It 322 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 2: was so fragmented that the machine that sold rated products 323 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 2: hit all the right buyers, but no one could sell 324 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 2: the unrated piece. The unrated piece yielded twenty twenty five percent, 325 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 2: where the rated piece would yield three to five percent, 326 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 2: And so that difference was the arbitrage that we saw. 327 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: So heading into five six, we saw real estate peek 328 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: in I want to say, in volume in five and 329 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: price and six. So if you're getting paid fifteen twenty 330 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: percent to hold the unrated piece, isn't there a lot 331 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: of downside risk that hey, if some of these mortgages 332 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: go south, you could see, you know, you get cut 333 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: in half or worse. 334 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 2: That's exactly right, and so our what the modeling actually said, though, 335 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 2: is if nothing happens in the world, we make this 336 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 2: twenty percent return. But if anything happened, not only would 337 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 2: our equity piece suffer, but the short side or our 338 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 2: mezzanine pieces would make the money back. And that's the raceo, 339 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,919 Speaker 2: that's the ratio we had to be on. So what 340 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 2: they call that is delta neutral in the options world. 341 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 2: So we had a we were hedging an option, and 342 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 2: that hedge made us a lot of money in downside scenarios, 343 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 2: but that was never the focus. We didn't know the 344 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 2: housing market would crash. We had no idea. What we 345 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 2: had was a trade or an investment that we'd make 346 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 2: twenty percent a year on and if anything happened in 347 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 2: the world, we've really protected the balance sheet. It just 348 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:47,959 Speaker 2: happened quite quickly. 349 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: So let's talk a little bit about what's going on today, 350 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 1: especially in some of the private alternative spaces you've talked about. 351 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 1: Pensions are now facing ill equids. The issues because private 352 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: equity and venture capital have gates up a lot of 353 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,360 Speaker 1: long term tie ups. How has this affected your business? 354 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 2: That's been the most challenging part of the business. Really, 355 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 2: it really hasn't. And pension funds they're on hold today, 356 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 2: they're not investing, and it's been not just a headwind 357 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 2: for us, but for the entire industry. So I'll step 358 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 2: back and I'll give you my view on it. So 359 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 2: pensions have this mandate, they have a diversified portfolio they 360 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 2: invest in, they receive cash flow from the portfolio, and 361 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 2: that supports their retiree benefits. So they're always making this 362 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 2: judgment while I produce enough cash to manage those liabilities. 363 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 2: What happened over the last year and a half or 364 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 2: so is rates went up and valuations went down. Now, 365 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 2: the handshake agreement with the venture firms and the private 366 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 2: equity firms was give them a dollar today and in 367 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 2: five years they'll give you back two or three dollars, right, 368 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 2: depending on how the fund did. They've stopped giving back 369 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 2: that capital today. Oh really, And so the pension funds 370 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 2: are faced with this illiquidity problem, and so they're borrowing 371 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,120 Speaker 2: money against their portfolios. They're selling positions in their portfolios. 372 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 2: But what they're not doing is taking on new investments. Now, 373 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,479 Speaker 2: there's a flip side to this. Whenever we have trouble 374 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 2: raising capital, the investment opportunities are usually very good. So 375 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 2: our pipeline is extremely robust today. 376 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: Huh, that's really intriguing. Do you see this across the 377 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 1: board or is it really just more generalized that when 378 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: you have the dislocation of five hundred plus basis points 379 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: in eighteen months, what does that do to the landscape. 380 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 2: It always changes the landscape, and so no one's ever 381 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 2: prepared for moves of that size, even though everyone says 382 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 2: they are. And so it's opportunities that have come out 383 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 2: of this mainly are around the banks today, right, and 384 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 2: so we can talk a little bit more about that. 385 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: Well, let's talk a bit about Magnetar has more of 386 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:01,919 Speaker 1: a specialty finance focus than other credit managers. Tell us 387 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: about that and how has the shift and rates impacted 388 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 1: specialty financed. 389 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, so after the GFC, these private credit markets really 390 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 2: developed and they went in two different directions. They went 391 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 2: in direct lending, right, and so ninety percent of the 392 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 2: market went direct lending. So that's going to middle market 393 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 2: companies and disintermating the banks and lending directly to them. 394 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 2: For us, we went in a different direction. We went 395 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 2: in specialty finance and especially finances is a bit smaller, 396 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 2: but it's been around for ages and it touches our 397 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 2: lives every day. 398 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: Define it if you would, Yeah, so's it's. 399 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 2: The cars we drive, so auto loans, it's the houses 400 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 2: we buyer ranso, it's mortgages. It's the podcasts that we stream, right, 401 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 2: so it's all the music royalties and streaming royalties. So 402 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 2: it's it's assets like that. And the interesting part about 403 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 2: these assets is there's a very strong investment thesis around 404 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 2: them because they have three attributes when combined together, that 405 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 2: most other asset classes don't have, and certainly I don't 406 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 2: think direct lending has. So the first is you can 407 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 2: find very stable payoff profiles. Second, you can find assets 408 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 2: or these payoff profiles that don't correlate to the overall market, 409 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 2: so you're not worried about them moving with the SMP 410 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 2: or the highyield index. And third, and most importantly, they 411 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 2: don't correlate to one another. And so I'll give you 412 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,919 Speaker 2: an example of a three asset portfolio. So In our 413 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 2: music royalty portfolio, returns could be driven by an artist's 414 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 2: song downloads like Taylor Swift downloads. And in our solar 415 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 2: finance portfolio, it's by how much sunlight there is in 416 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 2: a particular region. Or lately we've been lending a lot 417 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 2: against in video GPUs for cloud usage and that's driven 418 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 2: by aim machine learning growth. If I think about just 419 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:52,199 Speaker 2: those three assets, they shouldn't correlate to the SMP, but 420 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 2: they certainly shouldn't correlate to one another. That's how we 421 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,880 Speaker 2: can really produce a high quality of earnings for our investors. 422 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: Really interesting you mentioned in banks earlier. I know that 423 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 1: Magnetar has had opportunities to partner with banks via what 424 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: some people call rig cap transactions. Tell us a little 425 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:11,679 Speaker 1: bit about those. 426 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,640 Speaker 2: So rag cap or some people call them significant risk 427 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:19,159 Speaker 2: transfer transactions. That is a massive opportunity for credit funds today. 428 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,639 Speaker 2: And so a lot of people would think that the 429 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 2: banks are selling assets, right, but in our experience, we're 430 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 2: seeing them efficiently transfer the credit risk of assets but 431 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 2: keeping the customer relationship. It's a very important distinction. 432 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: How do you do that either you have the asset 433 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: and the credit risk. I would imagine or if you don't, 434 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: if it's a mortgage, you sell the mortgage and you're out, 435 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 1: how do you have How are you a little bit pregnant? 436 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,919 Speaker 2: Exactly? So the solution to that are these reglatory capital solutions. 437 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 2: And so you're taking a portfolio of credit risk and 438 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 2: you're transferring that credit risk to a private credit fund 439 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,399 Speaker 2: like us, but maintaining the customer relationship. And what banks 440 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:04,199 Speaker 2: I think eminently realizes the customer relationship is how they 441 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:09,199 Speaker 2: drive revenues. So traditional banking FX advisory services, you know, 442 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 2: high net worth and so without that they start to 443 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:16,360 Speaker 2: lose their franchise. This is the product that allows them 444 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 2: to transfer credit risk. And for private credit firms, we 445 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,199 Speaker 2: all of a sudden have access to some of their 446 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 2: highest quality lending. Right It's it's been the fastest growing 447 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 2: part of our portfolio. 448 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: So I'm trying to figure out if they're transferring the 449 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 1: credit risk to you, I'm assuming you're taking some sort 450 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: of contract with the bank that you're going to assume 451 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: the liability if X happens, and then you, with your expertise, 452 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:48,879 Speaker 1: are hedging out that risk through your options or credit desk. 453 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's exactly right. But importantly, the first thing 454 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 2: we're doing is we're using data to really understand what 455 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 2: the credit risk is. And with that data, then we 456 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 2: can start thinking about what what the likely hedges are 457 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 2: for the macro risk of the portfolio. 458 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,480 Speaker 1: So let's talk about that. What is your approach to data, 459 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: How do you institutionalize data management and how do you 460 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 1: leverage the idea of hey, we know a lot about this, 461 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: here's how we monetize it. 462 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 2: People talk a lot about the importance of data, but 463 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:21,640 Speaker 2: it's usually in a different context. It's usually for these 464 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 2: quantitative strategies or quantitative hedge funds. For US, data is 465 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 2: the lifeblood of specialty finance. So for US, we use 466 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 2: data to solidify our assumptions. What we do with the 467 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:38,360 Speaker 2: data is we forecast a performance of assets by matching 468 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:44,360 Speaker 2: statistically significant characteristics. So back to the redcap examples, we've 469 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 2: looked at hundreds and hundreds of these types of investments 470 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 2: and we've taken all the data from those transactions. Now 471 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 2: we look at a new transaction. A bank comes to us 472 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 2: and says, I need to produce more regulatory capital on 473 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 2: this one hundred to ten thousand loans. We can take 474 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 2: the character risks of their polio today and out of 475 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 2: sample price them through history. That helps us price the 476 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 2: credit right and understand what risk we're taking on. 477 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 1: So this is really fairly sophisticated financial engineering. That is, 478 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 1: it sounds like it's a way for the banks to 479 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: meet the SEC requirements, the increased post financial crisis financial 480 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: reserves that they're required to have, but not have to 481 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 1: sell off big parts of the business and not have 482 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:33,920 Speaker 1: to sell off the relationships you described. 483 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,360 Speaker 2: I think that's exactly right. And even when you get 484 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,920 Speaker 2: to what happened earlier in twenty twenty three with Credit Swiss, 485 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 2: that again put pressure on the banks to really think 486 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 2: about how they're going to hedge their credit risk. This 487 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 2: is their hedge to credit risk. 488 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: And then related to the way you guys work with 489 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 1: data management, tell us a little bit about Magnetar Labs. 490 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, Magnetar Labs has been a great initiative for us. 491 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:01,119 Speaker 2: It's really the institutionalization of our data. So we're trying 492 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 2: to produce infrastructure where we can ingest large data sets 493 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 2: very quickly and not only use them in specific business lines, 494 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 2: but use it across business lines. So I'll give you 495 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 2: a few examples In our merger arbitrage business, we've tracked 496 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,679 Speaker 2: every detail and every characteristic of every merger and acquisition 497 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 2: for the last twenty plus years, and even our recent 498 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:29,639 Speaker 2: restaurant finance business, we have itemized bills of every customer. 499 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 2: This is really useful data. So here's an example from 500 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 2: just a couple of months ago. We were looking at 501 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 2: an auto loan transaction and the servicer tried to overload information, 502 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 2: so they gave us eighty million line items of information 503 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 2: on purpose or I don't know if it's on purpose 504 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 2: or not, but eighty million line items, one hundred different files, 505 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 2: forty gigabytes of memory. So that's far too much for 506 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 2: Excel to handle or any local Python right or overload 507 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 2: to any one machine. But our Magtar Labs team was 508 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 2: able to take that in in just minutes. Right now, 509 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 2: we can analyze the data and then look at look 510 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,879 Speaker 2: at the attributes to that investment and see if it 511 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 2: fits in our portfolio. We actually made the made the investment. 512 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:16,360 Speaker 1: So so what sort of hardware using is this? Old? 513 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 1: Cloud based? Is this I think of like, oh, sounds 514 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: like a mainframe. I don't even know if mainframes still 515 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:22,880 Speaker 1: exist anymore. 516 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 2: Everything's gone to the cloud now, right, it is pretty amazing. 517 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 1: And that sort of distributed computer has no ceiling, essentially 518 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:35,879 Speaker 1: no capacity correct, infinite capacity correct. Really really interesting. So 519 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: let's talk a little bit about the status quo. I 520 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: read something where you said it was important to not 521 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: maintain the status quo. Explain what that means. 522 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 2: We're not efficient market theorists, but we certainly believe that 523 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 2: in the medium for long term the markets are efficient. 524 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: Kind of mostly eventually. 525 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 2: Efficient, eventually efficient. Right, So we know that what works 526 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 2: today at work several years forward, right, And so I'll 527 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,639 Speaker 2: give you the converts example. Like you mentioned, I've been 528 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 2: in the convert market for thirty years now, and sometimes 529 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 2: converts are very cheap, you know, commal bonn arbitrage, and 530 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:15,160 Speaker 2: when they are, we have a lot of our portfolio 531 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 2: in it. But today we have less than one percent 532 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 2: of our portfolio in the asset class. And it's just 533 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,679 Speaker 2: because it's not cheap or not cheap enough versus what 534 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 2: we can invest in. 535 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: And is the expectation is that whatever inefficiencies were there, 536 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 1: markets figured it out. It's arbitraged way, and the odds 537 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: are against that ever becoming really cheap or might it 538 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: you know, become a trade again. 539 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, some of it's supplied demand, right, and you're driven. 540 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,480 Speaker 2: But I think the most important part is we're not 541 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 2: hiring desks of people to stay in an asset class. 542 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 2: That's the status quo. That's not what we're looking for. 543 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 2: We're looking to aggressively rotate our capital to get to 544 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 2: the optimal portfolio, to get to the best risk adjusted return. 545 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: So does this mean you're exploring new business areas and 546 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: strategies or is it just that you're rolling through the 547 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: various other opportunities that you've fished in before. 548 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a good question. We maintain our diligence on 549 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 2: other strategies, but we always have a strong research and 550 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 2: development pipeline. Huh. 551 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: Really interesting. So let's talk about some of the things 552 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 1: that are going on today. Artificial intelligence AI dominated the 553 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three narrative. You made investments in core Weave, 554 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: a specialized cloud provider. Tell us a little bit about 555 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: what you're doing in that space. Is that related it 556 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: all to what we talked about earlier with Magnetar Labs. 557 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 2: Yeah. Core Weave is such an exciting story for Magnetar. 558 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 2: I can't say enough good things about it. Sometimes the 559 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 2: stars just align. You have the right time, the right product, 560 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 2: the right team. And for the listeners that don't know 561 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 2: who core Weave is, corev is the largest owner of 562 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 2: GPUs outside of the hyperscalers, Google or Amazon Web services. 563 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 2: They sell is high performance compute, which is sort of 564 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 2: the picks and shovels to enable AI. So if you 565 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 2: are a new AI lab, you need somebody like core 566 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 2: Weave to host that specialized cloud for you. Now, we 567 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 2: were the first institutional investor, so all the way back 568 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty and at that point, core We've had 569 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 2: just twenty six million dollars of top line revenue, and 570 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 2: I think we're the first firm to really get comfortable 571 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 2: lending against that asset called high performance compute. Right, So 572 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 2: they've had explosive growth, But what we haven't been is 573 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 2: just a capital provider. We've really been a partner to 574 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 2: them within the business. Are you guys also a customer 575 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 2: of their We're a customer there is in Magnetar Labs, 576 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 2: just like you intimated before, and so we use them 577 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 2: for Magnetar Labs. But we have Ernie Rodgers, our COO, 578 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:57,479 Speaker 2: sits on their board. We have daily interaction between our 579 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 2: management teams. This company is growing so quickly they need 580 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 2: all the help they can get around them, and what 581 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 2: we try to help with is mostly balance sheet management. 582 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: So for a firm that specializes in credit, this almost 583 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: sounds like a venture investment. 584 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 2: There are parts of this that are venture ish, but 585 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 2: what's interesting is the underlying asset, this high performance compute 586 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 2: is something that we can really scale with and so 587 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 2: I think that's been the innovation in the marketplace. So 588 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 2: you mentioned in twenty twenty three on the venture side, 589 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 2: we actually let around for them a four hundred million 590 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 2: dollars Series B round, but we also let a two 591 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 2: point three billion dollar financing on their high performance compute assets. 592 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 1: So it's capital and credit, it's equity and credit. 593 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 2: It's equity and credit, and it's a true partnership between 594 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,320 Speaker 2: the firms. Towards the end of last year, in December, 595 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 2: the firm got valued at seven billion dollars. And to me, 596 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:56,560 Speaker 2: it's just a start. This company just the you're just 597 00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 2: going to see it continue to grow over time. 598 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: Well, let me know about the C round when that comes. 599 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: What do you guys, in all seriousness, what are you 600 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: guys looking for? What sort of characteristics are you looking 601 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 1: for when a company like this comes along. You mentioned 602 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: idiosyncratic types of investment. This sounds very specific and not 603 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 1: all that usual. 604 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 2: It is. It's very specific, but we always start with 605 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 2: the assets. So it's assets, it's data, and its structure. Right, 606 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 2: So first on the assets, we're usually focused on specialty 607 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 2: finance because the assets drive the performance of the company. Right. 608 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 2: The next thing we need is data. We can't predict 609 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 2: the future, so we're trying to do is use historical 610 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 2: data to predict how an asset reacts in different states 611 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 2: of the economy, and finally we use structure around that 612 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 2: to protect the downside of the investment itself. 613 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: Huh. Sounds really intriguing. So as long as we're talking 614 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: about twenty twenty three, we saw a lot of bank 615 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: failures last year, we saw the response to a rapid 616 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 1: increase in rates. You had a front row seat to 617 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: what transpired. Share what that was like, and what did 618 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,960 Speaker 1: you guys see in the space. Tell us about the 619 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 1: opportunities that came up from those events. 620 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,959 Speaker 2: Those were stressful events for the entire community, you know, 621 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 2: for Silicon Valley Bank in particular. I remember it was 622 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 2: Friday night, and the question of moral hazard appeared immediately. 623 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 2: So it's California based, right. It was a lot of 624 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 2: venture funds that had accounts there, and the questions started 625 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 2: coming out, is their cash safe, will they be able 626 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 2: to access it? If so, when will they be able 627 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 2: to make payroll? A lot of these smaller companies were 628 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 2: very worried about payroll, and in California specifically will the 629 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 2: border directors be liable if they couldn't make payroll? And 630 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 2: then they started rolling it out to what about all 631 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 2: the similar situated banks. So we all know that by 632 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 2: Monday morning, the contagion risk was too high and the 633 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 2: government did step in. But the opportunities really arose from that. 634 00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 2: And so the first opportunity, which is very similar to 635 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 2: doing regulatory capital investments with large banks, is being a 636 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 2: risk capital provider to the small and regional banks. And 637 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 2: I think we're going to see more and more of 638 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 2: this overtime. It's credit firms partnering with banks where we 639 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 2: have access to all the diligence around their customers and 640 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,280 Speaker 2: together we can jointly underwrite and make loans. 641 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: You mentioned moral hazard. Where was the moral hazard with 642 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: Silicon Valley Bank? Was it the equity investors in the 643 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:32,399 Speaker 1: bank or was it the customers with way over the 644 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 1: FDIC limits? And if there isn't a quarter million or 645 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 1: half a million dollar ceiling, did the Federal Reserve essentially say, okay, 646 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:44,840 Speaker 1: FDIC insurance is now unlimited? Is that the moral hazard? 647 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 2: We found that to be the moral hazard. Who's the 648 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 2: governor of how much risk a bank can take? So 649 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 2: the federal government came out and they said, you have 650 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:54,800 Speaker 2: a two hundred and fifty thousand dollars limit, but people 651 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 2: were putting in one hundred million dollars into the account 652 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:00,399 Speaker 2: because they got twenty five basis points more of interest, right, 653 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,880 Speaker 2: So how do you actually control that? That's the moral 654 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 2: hazard we saw now. I think at the end of 655 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:07,799 Speaker 2: the day, it was just too big of a risk 656 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 2: to the economy. 657 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: The contagion risk was Hey, there's a moral hazard question 658 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 1: to the depositors. But rather than stand on ceremony, let's 659 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 1: stop this before it spreads. 660 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:19,799 Speaker 2: That's exactly right. 661 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,359 Speaker 1: Huh, that's really that's really kind of intriguing. What else 662 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,959 Speaker 1: has been the result of this rapid spike in interest rates? 663 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: What do you see in the private credit world that hey, 664 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: blame the fed. But here's what's gone off the rails. 665 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:38,680 Speaker 2: For credit investors. Everyone thinks about fixed rate risk, right, 666 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 2: but that's easily hedgable, and that's a choice that that 667 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:45,080 Speaker 2: credit investors make. So for people like magnets, are we 668 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 2: swap everything back to floating rate, we don't have any 669 00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:50,720 Speaker 2: edge on a macro risk like that. But the second 670 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,719 Speaker 2: order effect is much much more difficult, and that's the 671 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 2: business impact of rates changing. So when we think about businesses, 672 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 2: we think about that margins change as rates go up 673 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 2: or down, to originations change, What about the refinancing of 674 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 2: their debt? I think those are the things that are 675 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 2: going to keep lawyers and restructuring advisors very busy for 676 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:13,280 Speaker 2: the foreseeable future. 677 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: So given this current environment where first rates went up 678 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:22,480 Speaker 1: further and faster than it seemed like, the consensus amongst 679 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 1: analysts was they stayed higher longer than people expected. There's 680 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: no recession. People have been talking about that for two years, 681 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:35,480 Speaker 1: and the expected rate cuts I guess tied to that 682 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:38,640 Speaker 1: recession haven't showed up yet. We were talking about March, 683 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 1: now we're talking about May, even June of twenty twenty four. 684 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:47,280 Speaker 1: How does this affect how you think about putting portfolios together, 685 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: constructing portfolios. And I am very aware that you guys 686 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,360 Speaker 1: aren't macro tourists. You don't play that game. But given 687 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 1: the volatility and the various probabilistic outcomes, how does that 688 00:36:58,800 --> 00:36:59,640 Speaker 1: impact your thinking. 689 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:02,719 Speaker 2: It's a very good question, and for us, we think 690 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 2: a lot about the affordability factor. So I'll give you 691 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:10,120 Speaker 2: two examples at both extremes. So we have a partial 692 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 2: ownership in an auto loan business in Ireland, and so 693 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,759 Speaker 2: when rates are at zero, we're loaning to consumers. It's 694 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 2: somewhere between five and a half and six percent, and 695 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,520 Speaker 2: we're gaining market share rapidly. All of a sudden, risk 696 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:25,920 Speaker 2: free rate goes to five percent, that equivalent loan we're 697 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 2: gonna have to charge consumers eleven percent. It's just it's 698 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 2: simply unaffordable. 699 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:31,759 Speaker 1: Right, different calculus, different. 700 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,440 Speaker 2: Calculus, And so we have a decision to make. We 701 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,560 Speaker 2: can stay at eleven percent, keep the same margin but 702 00:37:37,719 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 2: reduce origination, or we can take our margin down and 703 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 2: try to keep market share. Either way, the business is 704 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 2: worth a lot less. That has a lot of affordability 705 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 2: factor effect to it. On the other end of the 706 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 2: stream is our music royalties business. So in music royalties, 707 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:57,640 Speaker 2: you know, the simplification is you get some small part 708 00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 2: of worldwide streaming revenue. So it takes Spotify. Spotify raise 709 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 2: rates recently and they had no customer churn, so some 710 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 2: percentage of that rate went directly to the royalty holder. 711 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:13,680 Speaker 2: There was very little affordability factor. So we're veering away 712 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 2: from things that the business impact on affordability is high, 713 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:20,160 Speaker 2: and we're investing in things where it's lower. 714 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 1: Private credit seems to be getting a lot of attention 715 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:24,279 Speaker 1: these days. Why is that. 716 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 2: If you would have asked me going into the global 717 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:29,359 Speaker 2: financial crisis, I know we keep going back fifteen years now, 718 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:31,400 Speaker 2: I would have said the banks had it all right. 719 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:34,520 Speaker 2: They controlled origination of all of the different asset classes, 720 00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 2: especially finance and lending, so whether its credit cards or 721 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 2: mortgages or loans to their customers. But after as the 722 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,839 Speaker 2: financial crisis happened, there was a spotlight flashed on their 723 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 2: balance sheet. They just had too much risk and so 724 00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:51,960 Speaker 2: the regulators came in to reduce that risk. So the 725 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:56,240 Speaker 2: simple question is that private credit came in and stepped 726 00:38:56,239 --> 00:39:00,719 Speaker 2: in the shoes of banks and really took markets. But 727 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:04,280 Speaker 2: this scale was much larger than anyone could have anticipated. 728 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,239 Speaker 2: But for me, what I think about a lot is 729 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 2: the more profound effect is the talent transfer. The talent 730 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:15,239 Speaker 2: transfer from the banks that went to the credit providers, 731 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 2: the private credit providers that set the stage for this 732 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,320 Speaker 2: mass growth in private credit. 733 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 1: So let's talk about talent a little bit. One of 734 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 1: the things I know your firm is proud of is 735 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,600 Speaker 1: more than half of your workforce has been with the 736 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:34,480 Speaker 1: firm for five years or longer. So first, I'm assuming 737 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:37,880 Speaker 1: that's not typical in your space, and second I have 738 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: to ask what contributed to that sort of retention. 739 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 2: I'm very proud. I think we're very proud of that fact, 740 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 2: and I think it is very atypical. But the credit 741 00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 2: really goes to so many people at Magnetar. You know, 742 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 2: we're a global firm, but I think with a Midwestern ethos, 743 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 2: so it's work hard, stay humble, be a good teammate, 744 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:04,560 Speaker 2: good person, And I think if we can consistently demonstrate 745 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,799 Speaker 2: those qualities will attract people who value them. And it's 746 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:11,040 Speaker 2: a virtuous circle. And what's incredible about the firm is 747 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 2: when we get when we're focused, how much we can 748 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,839 Speaker 2: get done. So I'll give you a simple example. We 749 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,960 Speaker 2: started a summer internship program several years ago, and we 750 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,960 Speaker 2: started with two interns and we built the program around them, 751 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:26,759 Speaker 2: and this last summer we had sixty interns for a 752 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,399 Speaker 2: two hundred person organization. You know, it's pretty humbling when 753 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:33,440 Speaker 2: you think about all the exceptional people around Magnetar and 754 00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:34,600 Speaker 2: how much we can get done. 755 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:37,200 Speaker 1: So one of the things we've been hearing a lot 756 00:40:37,239 --> 00:40:41,760 Speaker 1: about as big companies try and get their staff back 757 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:45,840 Speaker 1: in the office five days a week is corporate culture. 758 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:50,800 Speaker 1: Tell us a little bit about what is differentiating Magnetar 759 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:57,040 Speaker 1: from a cultural perspective. You know, starting with Evanston, Illinois, 760 00:40:57,080 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 1: not a lot of private credit shops in the neighborho 761 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:01,720 Speaker 1: that's true. 762 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 2: You know, first principles, it's always about integrity. But I 763 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:09,759 Speaker 2: think for most tenured firms integrity is high. But for us, 764 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 2: the north star is always creating the best portfolios to 765 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:17,319 Speaker 2: deliver to our clients. And we really have two foundational 766 00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 2: points there. One is we run a very flat organization 767 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:23,480 Speaker 2: and secondly, we've thought a lot about alignment. So on 768 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:27,000 Speaker 2: the flat organization, it doesn't matter who has the right answer. 769 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:29,960 Speaker 2: We know we're trying to reach the right answer. So 770 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:33,360 Speaker 2: I'll take our investment committees as an example. We have 771 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 2: bi weekly investment committees. And it's not the top two 772 00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,600 Speaker 2: or three people that sit on the investment committee. We 773 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,759 Speaker 2: have one hundred and twenty people in that meeting, you know, 774 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:45,840 Speaker 2: every two weeks. Wow, And we really want people to 775 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 2: voice opinions, right, and that's how we're going to get 776 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:50,560 Speaker 2: to the best answer. You know, we talk about it 777 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:53,879 Speaker 2: internally a lot. We're trying to manage investments by consensus, 778 00:41:54,239 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 2: and so especially in private credit, if someone doesn't like something, 779 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:00,360 Speaker 2: we can change it. We can change you know, what 780 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:03,440 Speaker 2: a structure looks like. And so we'll get to something 781 00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:07,600 Speaker 2: where we actually get consensus, you know. On the alignment point. 782 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:12,240 Speaker 2: It really goes back to not giving individual capital allocations, 783 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:16,040 Speaker 2: but incentivizing people to create the best portfolio. So you 784 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:19,120 Speaker 2: asked about pretention before. I think the reason why people 785 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:22,840 Speaker 2: stay at Magnetar long term is because they believe in 786 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,040 Speaker 2: these philosophies and they believe if we get to the 787 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:28,240 Speaker 2: right portfolio that everyone wins in the long term. 788 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:31,480 Speaker 1: Huh. Really very interesting, So we only have you for 789 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:33,799 Speaker 1: a limited amount of time. Let me jump to my 790 00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:37,680 Speaker 1: favorite questions that I ask all of my guests starting 791 00:42:37,719 --> 00:42:40,640 Speaker 1: with tell us what you've been streaming these days? What's 792 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:45,800 Speaker 1: been keeping you entertained? Either video or audio, Netflix or podcast? 793 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:47,280 Speaker 1: What's keeping you entertained? 794 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:49,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think this will be different than most of 795 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 2: the people have stated on this show. But for me, 796 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:51,840 Speaker 2: it's been. 797 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:55,120 Speaker 1: Flow sports, flow sports. 798 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:57,359 Speaker 2: Flow sports. So I have my older son is in 799 00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:00,680 Speaker 2: between high school and college right now, and he's playing 800 00:43:00,719 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 2: hockey and juniors for a year, and so all of 801 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 2: his games are on flow Sports. So Christy and my 802 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 2: son Jake and I sit around and watch every game together. 803 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:11,959 Speaker 1: What does he what positions does he play? 804 00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:15,600 Speaker 2: He plays defense. It's been a lot of fun flow sports. 805 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:18,440 Speaker 1: Is that like a YouTube channel on internet channel? How 806 00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:19,000 Speaker 1: do you find that? 807 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:21,920 Speaker 2: We pull it up on Apple TV or on our phone, 808 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,800 Speaker 2: and yeah, it's been great for a lot of youth sports. 809 00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:26,880 Speaker 1: Huh. Interesting. 810 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:30,000 Speaker 2: And then on the podcast side, this podcast aside on. 811 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:31,879 Speaker 1: Here you never have to bring this podcast up. 812 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:35,120 Speaker 2: Of course. So I listened to one by Larry Burnsteed 813 00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:39,240 Speaker 2: what Happens Next, and he's been doing it since COVID, 814 00:43:39,320 --> 00:43:43,440 Speaker 2: and it's sort of six minutes of really relevant topics 815 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 2: that come out every weekend. 816 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:47,560 Speaker 1: What happens next. I'm going to check that out. I 817 00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:50,799 Speaker 1: love the idea of these having done long form for 818 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:54,000 Speaker 1: a decade, I love the idea of five, ten, twelve 819 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:57,359 Speaker 1: minutes and you're done, And there's something very appealing about that. 820 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:02,080 Speaker 1: Let's talk about your mentors who helped to shape your career. 821 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:04,160 Speaker 2: You know, it always starts with their parents, and then 822 00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:07,920 Speaker 2: you know football coaches like like Larry Kimbaum. But I 823 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,680 Speaker 2: mentioned Dave Bunning before. I think most people would say, 824 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:13,479 Speaker 2: you know, I'm a product of his teachings over time. 825 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:16,800 Speaker 1: Huh. Interesting. How about books? What are some of your favorites? 826 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 1: What are you reading right now? 827 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,359 Speaker 2: You know I always like Michael Lewis books. We had 828 00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:23,600 Speaker 2: him at one of our off sites a few years ago. 829 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:26,120 Speaker 2: You ever remember this book is one of my favorites. 830 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:28,960 Speaker 2: You know, Memos from the Chairman by Alan Greenberg. Sure, 831 00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:29,759 Speaker 2: that was a. 832 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:32,880 Speaker 1: Great bay Greenberg Greenberg correct. 833 00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:34,759 Speaker 2: And what was so interesting about his book is, you 834 00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:37,160 Speaker 2: know he's running the firm, but he's really in the 835 00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:38,960 Speaker 2: nuche of every detail. 836 00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:43,920 Speaker 1: It was very interesting, including the paper clips recycling. 837 00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:45,040 Speaker 2: Between every expense. 838 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:48,200 Speaker 1: So let me interrupt you one second. Say I was 839 00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:51,799 Speaker 1: at a lunch just with you know, three people at 840 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:54,880 Speaker 1: a table and he came in and sat like a 841 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:58,319 Speaker 1: table or two over and the whole meal, I mean 842 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 1: this was later in his life. The whole meal was 843 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,439 Speaker 1: a parade of people coming in to genuflect in front 844 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:08,040 Speaker 1: of him and just pay their respects. It was like 845 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 1: the Pope was having lunch. I don't know how well 846 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:15,399 Speaker 1: you know of him, and the book certainly is kind 847 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 1: of you know, you don't get a sense of how 848 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:21,239 Speaker 1: other people perceived him, but fascinating guy. 849 00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:23,319 Speaker 2: I met him when he was at bear Stearns and 850 00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:27,200 Speaker 2: I felt the same way. He was a special person. 851 00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:29,640 Speaker 1: What other books are you reading? Anything else you want 852 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:30,000 Speaker 1: to mention? 853 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:32,879 Speaker 2: So my colleague and the head of our London ops, 854 00:45:32,880 --> 00:45:36,840 Speaker 2: Alan Schafferan, recommended the book The Missing Billionaires and the 855 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:39,239 Speaker 2: reason that I just started. But the reason it's interesting 856 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:44,160 Speaker 2: is it's very focused on asset allocation and mistakes and 857 00:45:44,239 --> 00:45:47,799 Speaker 2: asset allocation and how much that can cost a portfolio 858 00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:50,160 Speaker 2: over time. So it has a lot of parallels to 859 00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:52,720 Speaker 2: the way we think about asset allocation and magnets are. 860 00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: Huh really interesting. Our final two questions, what sort of 861 00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:59,680 Speaker 1: advice would you give a recent college grad interest in 862 00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:04,680 Speaker 1: the career in either private creditor alts, fixed income, any 863 00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:06,120 Speaker 1: of the areas you specialized in. 864 00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:08,520 Speaker 2: It's what we think about for the firm. I know 865 00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:12,840 Speaker 2: what I tell my kids would be, it's people on platform. 866 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:16,719 Speaker 2: You need to be around good integrist people that are 867 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:20,760 Speaker 2: great mentors, and the platform needs to be growing over time, 868 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:23,160 Speaker 2: so each seat should be more more than the person 869 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:23,400 Speaker 2: in it. 870 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:26,920 Speaker 1: Huh. Interesting. And our final question, what do you know 871 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:30,640 Speaker 1: about the world of investing, of credit of risk management 872 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:33,479 Speaker 1: today that you wish you knew when you were first 873 00:46:33,800 --> 00:46:35,640 Speaker 1: getting started thirty years or so ago. 874 00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:38,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, this may be an atypical answer, but I think 875 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:40,719 Speaker 2: about luck versus skill a lot more than I ever 876 00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:43,680 Speaker 2: did before. If you make a decision today and don't 877 00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:46,080 Speaker 2: have an outcome for ten years, you don't really know 878 00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:48,359 Speaker 2: if you were good at it or not right, whether 879 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:50,680 Speaker 2: you won or lost. If you're able to have a 880 00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:54,640 Speaker 2: much faster feedback loop now, you can really hone your 881 00:46:54,680 --> 00:46:59,840 Speaker 2: skills and understand whether you're making good decisions or bad decisions. 882 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:02,640 Speaker 2: And so I think for me, and as we look 883 00:47:02,640 --> 00:47:05,560 Speaker 2: at people's track records, we really try to think about 884 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:08,960 Speaker 2: how often do they get to make the same decision 885 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:12,440 Speaker 2: and what's the process around that decision and how different 886 00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:13,160 Speaker 2: is it over time? 887 00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:16,279 Speaker 1: Very interesting. I have a book for you, but I'm 888 00:47:16,280 --> 00:47:19,799 Speaker 1: gonna bet you've already read it, Michael Mobison's book I 889 00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:24,239 Speaker 1: have not Please, Separating skill from luck in investing, business 890 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:27,080 Speaker 1: and sports like that is right up your al that 891 00:47:27,239 --> 00:47:31,080 Speaker 1: is thank you, and he's a fascinating author and really 892 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:33,839 Speaker 1: a fascinating book. I would bet you you would appreciate it. 893 00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:34,440 Speaker 2: Excellent. 894 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:37,200 Speaker 1: Thank you David for being so generous with your time. 895 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:41,040 Speaker 1: We have been speaking with David Snyderman. He is the 896 00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:44,560 Speaker 1: global head of Alternative credit and fixed income and managing 897 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:48,960 Speaker 1: partner at Magnetar, a fifteen billion dollar multi strategy, multi 898 00:47:49,040 --> 00:47:53,920 Speaker 1: product alternative investment management firm. If you enjoy this conversation, 899 00:47:54,080 --> 00:47:56,520 Speaker 1: well check out any of the previous five hundred or 900 00:47:56,560 --> 00:48:02,120 Speaker 1: so we've had. You can find those ato Spotify, YouTube, Bloomberg, 901 00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:06,399 Speaker 1: wherever you find your favorite podcast. Be sure and check 902 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:10,200 Speaker 1: out my new podcast at the Money, ten minutes each 903 00:48:10,239 --> 00:48:14,480 Speaker 1: week with an expert discussing a topic that's relevant to 904 00:48:14,719 --> 00:48:17,360 Speaker 1: you and your money. I would be remiss if I 905 00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:19,600 Speaker 1: did not thank the crack team that helps me put 906 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:24,719 Speaker 1: these conversations together each week. Sarah Livesey is my audio engineer. 907 00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:28,440 Speaker 1: Attika val Brun is my project manager. Anna Luke is 908 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:32,200 Speaker 1: my producer. Sean Russo is my head of research. Sage 909 00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:36,680 Speaker 1: Bauman is our head of podcasts. I'm Barry Ritolfs. You've 910 00:48:36,719 --> 00:48:40,720 Speaker 1: been listening to Master's in Business on Bloomberg Radio