E107: Caltech’s CIO’s $4.6 Billion Investment Strategy

Scott Richland, Chief Investment Officer at Caltech sits down with David Weisburd to discuss key portfolio secrets inside Caltech’s $4.5B endowment strategy, the importance of strategy discipline in asset management and how direct investments are chosen behind Caltech's opportunistic bucket.

The 10X Capital Podcast now receives more than 170,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email me at David@10xcapital.com.

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SPONSOR:

Carta is the all-in-one suite for private fund operations. Carta’s software-based approach takes fund administration out of the spreadsheet and into the modern age with powerful solutions and intuitive interfaces, all on one platform. Their suite of products and expert services help funds at any stage with up-to-date insights and automated workflows to get them to the next level. Learn more at: https://z.carta.com/10xpod

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X / Twitter: @dweisburd (David Weisburd) @Caltech (Caltech)

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LinkedIn: David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Scott Richland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-richland-459a415/ Caltech: https://www.linkedin.com/school/california-institute-of-technology/

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Links: Caltech: https://www.caltech.edu/

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Questions or topics you want us to discuss on The 10X Capital Podcast? Email us at david@10xcapital.com

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TIMESTAMPS:

(0:00) Episode Preview (0:54) Portfolio Construction and Allocation (2:19) Team Structure and Investment Strategy (3:05) Advantages of Caltech's Endowment Size (4:21) Taxable vs. Non-Taxable Portfolios (5:55) Evergreen Funds and Their Benefits (7:08) Governance Structure and Investment Process (9:55) Sponsor: Carta (18:33) Macro Trends and Market Opportunities (22:01) Historical Market Downturns: Lessons Learned (22:43) The 2020 Market Drawdown: A Different Beast (23:24) Managing Emotions and Portfolio During Downturns (24:47) Reevaluating Investments: Best Practices (25:35) Human Nature in Investing: Avoiding Common Pitfalls (27:50) Asset Allocation and Direct Investments (30:12) Exploring New Investment Themes (35:25) The Role of Active vs. Passive Management (39:15) The Importance of Reducing Portfolio Volatility (40:59) Balancing Drawdowns and Expected Value (43:35) Leadership and Team Management (47:06) Reflections on a 14-Year Career at Caltech (49:10) Closing remarks