1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: You might have known boas Weinstein back in the day 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: for taking on the JP Morgan London whale, And of 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: course he's been known for many many years out of 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: the credit world because of course he invests in very 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: complicated credit assets. But more recently he's been known as 6 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: an activist investor. You have been most recently after for 7 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: a while targeting a series of clothes down funds, very 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: let's say, aggressively going after Black Rock. There have been lawsuits, 9 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: and of course proxy battles. Were actually in the center 10 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: of a proxy battle right now with certain funds actually 11 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: have already been voted on over the last couple of weeks. 12 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: What we don't know and what is a very important thing. 13 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: You've been very vocal on Twitter usually on how these 14 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: battles are going. You've been pretty quiet. How have the 15 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: meetings gone? Have you won anything? 16 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 2: So it's always nice to aspire to break news. 17 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 3: On at a conference like this, and it so happens 18 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 3: that the fund that has gotten the most most of my. 19 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 2: Attention, which is called big Z. 20 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 3: BIGZ, just had the voting closed at eleven o'clock. So 21 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 3: I can say preliminarily I didn't count the votes, but 22 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 3: they've announced it that actually all the Sauba nominees there 23 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 3: were seven got more votes than all of the Blackrock nominees, 24 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 3: and four of our nominees got more than two times 25 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 3: as many votes as black Rock, so more than two 26 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 3: to one. And when you win an election by two 27 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 3: to one, the voters have spoken. You know, we all 28 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 3: know landslide is like sixty forty fifty eight to forty two. 29 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 3: If more than two thirds voted one way, you know, 30 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 3: Blackrock can no longer say and that they purport to 31 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 3: speak for the shareholder and try to create some divisions. 32 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 3: The shareholder is spoken, we won, and what we The 33 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 3: reason that there's been litigation, it's been outward. It's us 34 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 3: to them is because they have put in place election 35 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 3: rules that would make Vladimir Putin blush. 36 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: So let's step back, big step back. This is one 37 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: fund you said you will voting for today, but they're 38 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: ten funds. Ultimately, what is it that you want want 39 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: out of this strategy? These are closed in funds, so 40 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: you're locking up or Blackrock has locked up capital for 41 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: a longer period of time forever right in many of 42 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: these funds. So what is it that you're trying to 43 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: accomplish by targeting them. I understand that you target them 44 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: when they're trading below their net asset value. You want 45 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 1: them to bring investors whole. But what's the endgame here? 46 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: You won at one fund, what else do you want? 47 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:24,239 Speaker 2: Yeah? 48 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 3: So ETFs, as we all know, can be sold in 49 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 3: net acid value, or the market maker can redeem them 50 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 3: for net asset value, and then the manager Blackrock will 51 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 3: go instell the assets and give back net asset value. 52 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 3: Closed in funds, you're trapped. Many of these funds have 53 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 3: no maturity. They could be around for one hundred years, 54 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 3: two hundred years, and so there are periods where the 55 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 3: investors don't want them. And for some reason, there isn't 56 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 3: a manager more than Blackrock that the investors don't want. 57 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 3: It's something personal. I'm not looking to not be besties 58 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 3: with Larry Fink. I'm not looking to be besties with 59 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 3: Larry Fink. 60 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 2: You know. 61 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 3: I basically am just looking to make my investors money. 62 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 3: And if the discounts are persons, and they're there year 63 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 3: after year, and you can buy it a literal dollar 64 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 3: for eighty five cents, you have the power, unlike in 65 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 3: normal activism, to turn that back into a dollar, because 66 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 3: if you change the fund structure to being an open 67 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 3: fund like an ETF or a mutual fund, or the 68 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 3: manager agrees to buy back shares a net asset value, 69 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 3: just like Franklin Templeton did this month in three energy funds, 70 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 3: the investor has a chance to go from eighty five 71 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 3: to one hundred. And as you all know, that's not 72 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 3: even just fifteen percent, because it's fifteen over eighty five. 73 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: That's an eighteen percent return. 74 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,679 Speaker 3: Big Z today is at greater than a fifteen percent discount, 75 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 3: and it's a fund that lit its investors' money on fire. 76 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 3: Now I say that it sounds dramatic. The last three 77 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 3: years we've been in more or lessible market, not for everything, 78 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 3: but Big Z has lost more than fifty percent of 79 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 3: its capital from the stock prices going down and from 80 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 3: the discounts going up, and so it's lost billions of dollars. 81 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 3: And here we have investors resoundingly saying we want change 82 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 3: at the board level. But the part that many of 83 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 3: you would be shocked to hear. Why I mentioned that 84 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 3: quip about Putin is that they've decided to set election 85 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 3: rules such that in order to replace their board, you 86 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 3: have to actually get fifty percent of all the shares 87 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 3: now in big z preliminarily they got about fifty one 88 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,359 Speaker 3: to vote, so we would have needed fifty out of 89 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 3: fifty one. Okay, winning thirty five to fifteen wasn't good enough, 90 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 3: and so that kind of math makes it literally impossible. 91 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 3: But ironically it makes it impossible for them to put 92 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 3: anyone else on the board because they would have to 93 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 3: go through their own arcane rules. And so as a 94 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 3: result to the black Rock nominees each sit on approximately 95 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 3: seventy boards, seventy different boards. How can they do their 96 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 3: job at seventy boards At JP Morgan, each nominee sits 97 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 3: on one board. It's horrific governance from a firm that's 98 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 3: an incredible firm that actually prides itself in raising money 99 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 3: to invest in good governance. 100 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: Now, I think importantly, as we've mentioned, this is one 101 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: fund that you know the outcome far. Yes, it's a 102 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: big fund for you to be investing in a large discount, 103 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: But what about the rest of them? If you were 104 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: to be on course to lose, how would you react? Right? 105 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: Know anything about those votes? 106 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 2: Right? 107 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 3: So I can't announce what's going to happen for the 108 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 3: other big funds. Big Z is something like a billion seven. 109 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 3: It's really large, and that's also why this has captivated 110 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 3: the media's attention and also individual investors. There's a lot 111 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 3: of money at stake. Going to NAV just a few 112 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 3: weeks ago was worth one point four billion dollars to 113 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 3: mostly mom and pop investors and to our investors who. 114 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 2: Include mom and pop. 115 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 3: We manage money in these very strategies for three different 116 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 3: state pensions millions of pensioneers. So the results are in 117 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 3: limbo even if we win, because it depends what the 118 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 3: judge says. We've taken them to court this year for 119 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 3: this election, this election scheme, and last year we did 120 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 3: it for a different election scheme, and we won in 121 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 3: summary judgment against Blackrock against Neuveen, and I have a 122 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 3: lot of respect for our former our panelist from the 123 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 3: last session from New Veene, but it's Blackrock, to be fair, 124 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 3: is not the only one, but they are by far 125 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 3: the worst. And it's those legal victories that have helped 126 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 3: us in order to get good results with other managers 127 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 3: who don't want to be on the wrong side of 128 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 3: the law. 129 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 2: And so that's why this year. 130 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 3: I was very proud that we won Institutional Investor Activist 131 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 3: of the Year back to back years and no closed 132 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 3: in fund activist has ever won it before, and we 133 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 3: were voted the best activists according to Institutional You're. 134 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: No longer just a closed end fund activist. You're also 135 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: a close and fund manager, given that you've taken over 136 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: some funds and those funds are actually not trading at 137 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 1: asset value. So how then do you turn around and 138 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 1: attack black Rock when your own funds are trading at 139 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: a discount. 140 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 3: So firstly, there's two measures. Let's say there's how they performed. 141 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 3: How much money did investors make or lose? In not 142 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 3: you mentioned there's a lot of Blackrock funds where we 143 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 3: went after There are ten, nine of them the last 144 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 3: three years have lost investors money. Nine out of ten. 145 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 3: Think about the market we're in, where the SMP is, 146 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 3: even where the Russell is. Nine out of ten are 147 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 3: in the red our fund that we've been managing for 148 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 3: two and a half years. That fund has actually made 149 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 3: quite a bit of money, and in twenty twenty two, 150 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 3: the first year we managed it, it was ranked number 151 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 3: one out of two hundred and fifty seven funds. Who's 152 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 3: in where the motive was income income based funds, and 153 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 3: we were We came in first. So Blackrock can say, well, 154 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 3: their fund trades at a discount too. But what they 155 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 3: leave aside, this is the rub sonali, is that we 156 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 3: when we took it over, said to the investors, if 157 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 3: you want to get out at any V or close 158 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 3: to any V, we will let you. We conducted a 159 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 3: tender and then there was there were more people that 160 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 3: wanted to get out, kind of like you know, looking 161 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 3: at it from capturing that discount, and we did a 162 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 3: second tender, so we let investors out of forty five percent. 163 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 3: Forty five percent of the capital exited and we let 164 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 3: them out of anyv Blackrock is not willing to do 165 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 3: anything like that. 166 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: One critique I've heard you make is the idea of 167 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: lowering fees here to attract more investment. But for these funds, 168 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: they tend to run at higher fees in the ETF structure. 169 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: Would you consider lowering fees for your own funds? 170 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 2: Right? 171 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 3: So, our fund that we took over in January, the 172 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 3: tickers SABA, is one of the lowest fee funds in 173 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 3: the marketplace. It only charges seventy five basis points. The 174 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 3: other funds is more normal. It charges around right around 175 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 3: one percent, but it's also you get what you pay for, 176 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 3: you know. I think most investors appreciate that if the 177 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 3: fund is going to do interesting things. You mentioned Preditor 178 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 3: of Wizardry or whatever you said in the beginning, and 179 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 3: we are doing really neat things in those funds. We're 180 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 3: not just putting together a long portfolio and letting it sit. 181 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 3: And so I think our fees are actually very modest. 182 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 3: It's not for me to say, it's for the investors 183 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 3: to say, when you look at. 184 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: What you're getting now, I want to read you Blackrock statement, 185 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: because of course they have fought back. They have not 186 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: let you jes attize their funds. They said that Blackrock 187 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: and the funds boards remained focused on delivering value for 188 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: all shareholders through concrete actions such as increased distributions and 189 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: discount management programs. SABA is an activist hedge fund looking 190 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: to arbitrage funds to capture quick profits. This attack is 191 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: not about government's performance or discounts. It is about executing 192 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: saba's well known playbook buying can, rolling positions, and forcing 193 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: short term changes that harm retail investors to benefit SABA 194 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: and at touch fund investors. What is your response to 195 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:13,839 Speaker 1: that and what what do you do after these campaigns? 196 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, when I sit here and think, throw 197 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 3: your best at me, Shali, Like they send you a question, 198 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 3: just please, like give me your toughest question. There's no, 199 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 3: there's no, we're not We're not. I'm not here to 200 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 3: be to be, we don't have some friendly arrangement. Ask 201 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 3: me anything you want. I fear none of their questions 202 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 3: because they're so absurd. Okay, when they say that we're 203 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 3: using some purported playbook to help investors in the short term, 204 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,319 Speaker 3: where is the long term pain of making investors money? 205 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 3: Usually when you say you have a short term motive, 206 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 3: there's a long term consequence having the funds, have investors 207 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 3: have a chance to get out. 208 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 2: At full value. Where is where is the negative in that? 209 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 3: And I'm not going to use my words, Okay, I 210 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 3: assess which is independent? 211 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 2: Okay? 212 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 3: Which stands to tell the small investor how they should 213 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 3: view this kind of rough contest that you know that 214 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 3: that we're having. Here's what ISS said about this year. Okay, 215 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 3: the board is deeply entrenched. A direct intervention remains necessary. 216 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 3: It is rare to witness a board so brazenly flout 217 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 3: the most basic of shareholder rights in furtherance of their 218 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 3: own enrichment. 219 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 2: I'll read one more. 220 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 3: The board actions are so grave that they would warrant 221 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 3: adverse vote for incumbents in an uncontested election. What Isss 222 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 3: said is that even if we didn't run against Blackrock, 223 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 3: they would have recommended against their nominees. That is literally 224 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 3: how bad it is. And I want to just say, 225 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 3: BlackRock's an amazing firm. They managed ten and a half 226 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 3: trillion dollars by last account. This might be big to us, 227 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 3: This might be very big to our investors. This is tiny, 228 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 3: small potatoes, and it will someday be a case study 229 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 3: at HBS of a strategy failure that for five billion 230 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 3: dollars of action of buying back funds at a discount, 231 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 3: including their own employees who would get to make that money, 232 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,680 Speaker 3: including their shareholders, that they would say, look, we actually 233 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:55,559 Speaker 3: care about you. We're going to treat you the way 234 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 3: other managers are treating their shareholders. 235 00:10:57,559 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 2: They wouldn't have this problem on their hands. 236 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 3: They have amazing but for closed end funds, they basically 237 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 3: have taken the position no one is going to tell 238 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 3: us what to do, and we're willing to do whatever 239 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 3: it takes to squash share the rights of the shareholder, 240 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 3: which is enshrined in the forty Act. The forty Act 241 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 3: is there, the nineteen forty Act, the Investment Company Act 242 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 3: is there to protect small investors. They don't need the 243 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 3: same protections in ETFs because you can vote with your feet, 244 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 3: you can redeem a mutual fund, you can sell an 245 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 3: ETF at a ne EV. But they are violating the 246 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 3: Investment Company Act. Don't trust my words. A judge said 247 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 3: it last year and we won our case. 248 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: What is your endgame here, because in addition to yes, 249 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: they did support you on the director push, but they 250 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: did not support you iss that is to terminate black 251 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: Rock as the investment advisor. Is your ultimate end game 252 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: to take over these funds. 253 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 3: So we've been in this is not my first rodeo. 254 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 3: We've been in about I don't know eighty campaigns, and 255 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 3: across eighty campaigns, only two times did the end result 256 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:57,199 Speaker 3: come that we took it over. In the first case, 257 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 3: actually the manager resigned. They said we'll stay on as 258 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 3: manager until you can find a new manager. So we 259 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 3: don't come into it with that goal. We come into 260 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 3: it with the goal of making our investors' money, and 261 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 3: it turns out all shareholders get to make the same 262 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 3: amount of money. They don't have to pay the legal 263 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 3: fees that we're paying. And by the way, Blackrock has 264 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 3: sent tons of mailers. You saw the chiron and you 265 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 3: saw the graphic SABA is trying to destroy your fund. 266 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 3: That mailer went out four or five times. Robo calls 267 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 3: on and on. I actually receive them because I'm a 268 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 3: personal shareholder. I receive these these robo calls and these mailers. 269 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 3: And what's amazing in the case of Big Z is 270 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 3: the only one I can talk about. They only got 271 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 3: one out of seven shareholders to. 272 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 2: Vote for them. 273 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:35,959 Speaker 3: I mean, it's just it's just incredible. That's despite the 274 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 3: So what is my end goal? My end goal is 275 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 3: to turn these funds back to an ev and make 276 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 3: everyone a billion three not because I'm some sort of 277 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 3: management McKinsey wizard, because NAV is a billion three away. 278 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: Has this gotten personal? 279 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 3: I mean I definitely, you know, I definitely a feeling 280 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 3: it on the stage right, But no, it's really you 281 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 3: know what it is. I have a pet, my pet, Peeve, 282 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 3: is this is going to sound a little corny. Is injustice? Okay, 283 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 3: it's everyone has their own. It's it's abusive. And and 284 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 3: so I just, having been doing this, having been in 285 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 3: eighty campaigns before, I just haven't seen it. We actually 286 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 3: decided this past year and year two of this craziness 287 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 3: to launch a fund dedicated to the closed in funds 288 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 3: of a single manager. Okay, we didn't say we're going 289 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 3: to pick black Rock. We looked at the attributes. What 290 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 3: are the funds that are at the biggest discounts, What 291 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,439 Speaker 3: are the funds that have the worst governance? I should 292 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 3: say those two funds you mentioned that we run, we 293 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 3: put in place the best governance. 294 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 2: ISS agrees. 295 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 3: We put in place governance where you count the number 296 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 3: of votes, not the number of whatever that you know. 297 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 3: I don't even know how to describe the You know 298 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 3: that you need half of all the shares to be 299 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 3: voted in your favor, even if half don't even show up. 300 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 3: So all of those things annual elections instead of staggered elections. 301 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 3: It is it is only personal in the sense that 302 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 3: it is it to me violates. We're so lucky in 303 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:57,839 Speaker 3: this business. The amount of money that managers management firms 304 00:13:57,840 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 3: make they have ten and a half trillion dollars to 305 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 3: do this because they want. 306 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 2: To trap capital. 307 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 3: They're basically blinded by this being long term capital that 308 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,959 Speaker 3: cannot be redeemed and they want to hold on to it. 309 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 3: And so it to me, it's it's like a very 310 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 3: noble fight. And we've received you can just look on Twitter, 311 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 3: hundreds and hundreds of positive comments and basically not one 312 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 3: negative comment. So I do enjoy the retail coming along 313 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 3: for the ride. 314 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 2: Yes, in that sense, it's personal. 315 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: So also to be clear, this is an investment strategy. 316 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: This is a strategy that is meant to return money 317 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: to shareholders. It's not just on concept. How profitable is 318 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: it and how big of a strategy has it become. 319 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 1: Has SABA really pivoted from becoming a tail fund to 320 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: an activist fund? 321 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 3: Well, give me a tail event and I'll be I'll 322 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 3: be a tail fund manager again. But we've had what 323 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 3: have we had like forty straight days of the S 324 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 3: and P not going down even three quarters of a percent? 325 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 3: I am it is a It is a big business 326 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 3: for us. We own six billion of closed end funds, 327 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 3: a full third of them or just this single manager 328 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 3: black Rock and and many of them we think have 329 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 3: good governance, they just are at discounts. We don't have 330 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 3: a governance issue. So it's it's it is quite a 331 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 3: big business for us, and I can't really on this 332 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 3: stage speak to the returns. But we have an ETF, 333 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 3: for example, the ticker is CEFS. It's been around for 334 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 3: more than seven years, and people can plug in how 335 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 3: that did versus the three other ETFs that own closed 336 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 3: in funds. It's done, It's done very well. 337 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: How well? 338 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 2: All right? 339 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 3: Well, if someone were to plug it into Bloomberg and 340 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 3: they put CFS and then they put the invesco version 341 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 3: or the first trust version, I think for the last 342 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 3: three years, and it's held a lot of it, it's 343 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 3: been in fixed income, which is you know, had a 344 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 3: tough time. Those other funds have made between zero and 345 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 3: two percent and we've made ten percent. 346 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: So let's broaden out here again, because you know, people 347 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: have looked at you for credit markets for a long time. 348 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: When we talk about the closed un funds strategy, there's 349 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: a deeper question. It's not really just about closed on funds. 350 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: There's a whole push by the private acset industry to 351 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: push into retail, to push into interval funds to find 352 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: new strategies to bring money in. Are all of those 353 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 1: funds vulnerable to activists? 354 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 3: So by the laws of depending on the structure, some are, 355 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 3: some are not. You know, in the interval fund you 356 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 3: generally you only have the right to redeem five percent, 357 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 3: so you're getting five percent back per quarter, but you can't. 358 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 3: They also invest generally in deeply liquid assets, so you 359 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 3: couldn't just sell Microsoft or IBM and raise the cash. 360 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 3: So it is interesting for me as having been in 361 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 3: credit at the forefront of all the innovation that came 362 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 3: after nineteen ninety eight, with with credit derivatives and synthetic 363 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 3: securitization and all of this sort of stuff. And back 364 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 3: then retail investors were redeemed. 365 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 2: Unsuitable to own these things. 366 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 3: You couldn't own high yields really if you were not 367 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 3: a qualified investor. And now whether it's Colo tranches, you know, 368 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 3: alphabet soup, and so this has been an amazing boom 369 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 3: for the largest asset managers, the amazing managers like in 370 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 3: Aries or Apollo that can bring these products their reputations 371 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 3: and good governance, I should say, because we also see 372 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 3: a lot of good governance JP Morgan has great governance 373 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 3: on their closed in funds. 374 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 2: And we see that. You know, there is huge investor demand. 375 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 3: The private credit space was a cottage industry a decade 376 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 3: ago at less than a quarter trillion dollars. Now it's 377 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 3: one and a half trillion, and it's growing like gangbusters. 378 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 3: So this kind of liquid credit investing that you're referring 379 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 3: to allows the manager to lock up for many years. 380 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 3: It's great for their stock price, it may be great 381 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 3: for their investors, but you know, we are in a 382 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 3: little bit of a zero sum world. Like if making 383 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 3: loans that are secured that are safe, that of you know, 384 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 3: a lot of acid coverage at twelve percent or thirteen 385 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 3: percent is great for areas, it probably ain't great for 386 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 3: the for the borrower, especially in this higher for longer world. 387 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 3: So just to close on that, just to say, I 388 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 3: think people just even three months ago, we're really expecting 389 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 3: rates to come down and that thirteen to go to 390 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 3: twelve eleven ten and really alleviate that pressure. But I 391 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 3: think higher for longer we're headed for some sort of 392 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 3: collision course between If we have that in conjunction with 393 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 3: an economic slowdown, we are going. 394 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 2: To have a default cycle. 395 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:04,880 Speaker 3: We are going to see which firms were good at 396 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 3: private credit and which we're not, because private credit has 397 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 3: been touted as this like amazing thing, almost like NFTs 398 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 3: or you know, chatch ept. I mean, what is private credit? 399 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 3: You're you're making loans to smaller companies. I mean, how 400 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 3: is that sexy? No, you know so, but it's very 401 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,719 Speaker 3: sexy for Aris and Apollo and and I look at 402 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 3: it like this amazing force that will have hiccups in 403 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 3: the years to come. 404 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: Now, one more question before you before I let you go, 405 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 1: is you know we have a major catalyst around the corner, 406 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: that is the US presidential election. As a massive investor 407 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 1: in credit and also as somebody who looks at volatility 408 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: very closely, what are you thinking about headed into that 409 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: election cycle and what comes out of it? How to position? 410 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, so you know, it's it's coming closer every day, 411 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 3: and it warn't our attention. And we'll also if there 412 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 3: is a change in the presidency, you'll have a president 413 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:04,440 Speaker 3: that people consider as someone that will be less will 414 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 3: be more unfettered, let's say, and maybe have scores to 415 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 3: settle and have views about how to undo things. And 416 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 3: so change generally means volatility. So it's really reflexive to think, Okay, 417 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 3: if Trump is elected, there'll be a lot of volatility. Now, 418 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 3: he also is very interested in the stock market going up, 419 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,920 Speaker 3: which you know usually think about in conjunction with lower volatility. 420 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 3: So you know, so, but might might the ways he 421 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 3: does that, whether it's a new Fed governor cause. 422 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 2: Some short term short term gain for actual long term pain. 423 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 3: Where interest rates and the front end come down but 424 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 3: in the back end go up, and and you know 425 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 3: certain firms are affected that way. As when I think 426 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 3: through that Trump means volatility. I also the other side 427 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,719 Speaker 3: of me thinks back to twenty seventeen. We had Trump 428 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 3: and we had Kim jongun and he was calling him 429 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 3: rocket Man. He was kind of taunting him, and I 430 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 3: remember during Rocketman, it wasn't an Elton John reference. Right 431 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 3: at that moment, the Vics hit single digits. The VIX 432 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 3: was the all time, it was at nine. I like, 433 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 3: I was crying because I'm a long volatility matter. During 434 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 3: the VICK is literally at nine, and so you know, 435 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 3: the Trump presidency is, if it happens, is going to 436 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,119 Speaker 3: be in many ways unpredictable, So you think they'll be 437 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 3: volatility but let's also remember there was also a lot 438 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 3: of economic stability. Though maybe because we're in a zero 439 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 3: percent interest rate world and now having seen the excess 440 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,200 Speaker 3: of that and the inflation, maybe we're not going to 441 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,440 Speaker 3: go back to that world, and they'll be volatility whether 442 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:25,400 Speaker 3: Trump is elected or Biden is reelected. 443 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:26,640 Speaker 1: Who's better for the bond market? 444 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 2: Biden? 445 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:34,920 Speaker 3: Why he's well, because I think he's less motivated by 446 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 3: the stock market and more motivated by what's good for America. 447 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 3: On the subject of bonds, I'm not getting that political. 448 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 2: Just bonds. 449 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 1: We will leave it there, Boaz, thank you so much 450 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 1: for taking all our questions. That as BoA's mind set 451 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 1: of SABA Capital