People

Bruce Kovner

Bruce Kovner

Formal First Name
Bruce
Dates
2/25/1945 - present
Location

Bruce Kovner has been a notable figure in the investment world and a committed philanthropist for more than three decades. In 1976, introduced by a family friend to the financial markets, he began an intensive program of self-study into the history and nature of the currency, commodity, and debt markets. Today, Kovner is Chairman of CAM Capital, which invests his private assets, and of the Kovner Foundation, which manages his philanthropic activities. For over two decades, he has been devoted to improving education to the underserved populations of New York and the nation.

  • Kovner formed Caxton Associates in 1983. Six years later, it has become one of the first modern macro hedge funds. He was CEO for 28 years, retiring in 2011. 
  • In 1977, he borrowed $3,000 from his Master Charge account and began his first trade.
    • He purchased soybean futures contracts. It went to 40,000, then dropped to a value of $23,000, at which time he sold the stock.
  • Successfully trading his own capital, he was hired as a senior trader by Commodities Corporation.
  • Inspired by John F. Kennedy to explore a career in public policy, he attended Harvard on a scholarship grant. 
  • His interest in philanthropy developed in the late 1980s and 1990s. 
  • His commitment to music and arts organizations began in the mid-1990s when he joined the board of the Juilliard School.