People

John Rutledge

John Rutledge

Formal First Name
John

Dr. John Rutledge is the Chief Investment Strategist of Safanad, a global investment company headquartered in Dubai International Financial Centre. He is responsible for directing investments in global fixed income, public equity, private equity, real estate, and marketable securities. Dr. Rutledge is a prominent advisor to government leaders in China, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait on economic, financial, and investment issues. He divides his time between New York, Newport Beach, Dubai, and Beijing.

Professional Experience


Academic History

CURRENT APPOINTMENTS


GOVERNMENT

  • Dr. Rutledge was one of the architects of the Reagan economic plan.
  • He advised the Bush administration on both tax policy and the reconstruction of Iraq
  • He advised the Trump White House on trade issues with China.
  • He testifies frequently before Congressional Committees.


CHINA

  • Dr. Rutledge has extensive interests in China
  • He is an Honorary Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hunan University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and China Agricultural University
  • He was awarded Beijing’s Great Wall Friendship Award in recognition of his role as a trusted advisor to China’s top officials. 
  • He served as an advisor to Cheng Siwei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee
  • And he is the founder of Tara’s Kids, a non-profit organization that has built libraries, kitchens, and computer labs in more than a dozen primary schools in rural villages.


ACADEMIA


  • Dr. Rutledge has started, run, chaired, owned, and harvested dozens of companies.
  • He has had a long career in private equity investing.
  • He led more than 30 leveraged buyouts, including Medical Specialties Group, StairMaster, Adobe Air, FluidDrive, and CROM Corp. 
  • He has also advised executives and institutional investors on restructuring, capital management, and other investment matters.


ASSET MARKET SHIFT FRAMEWORK

  • Dr. Rutledge first published the framework for analyzing capital markets in the Wall Street Journal in the 1980s.
  • Under this framework, interest rates and other asset prices are determined by private arbitrage behavior between financial and tangible assets.
  • It applies theoretical work drawn from non-equilibrium thermodynamics to portfolio management.
  • He uses the framework to track asset market shifts and develop strategies that protect and grow wealth, bridging the gap between macroeconomic analysis and portfolio management.
  • Over the past 40 years, he has used this framework on economic analysis, asset allocation, portfolio selection, business strategy, restructuring, acquisitions, and divestitures.


MEDIA

  • Dr. Rutledge appears weekly on CNBC shows including Squawk Box, Squawk on the Street, Fast Money, Closing Bell, and CNBC Asia
  • He wrote the Business Strategy column for Forbes for more than 10 years.
  • He authors the Rutledge Blog on economic and investment issues at www.drjohnrutledge.com
  • He is the author of the 2007 U.S. Chamber of Commerce study on the economic impact of the proposed carried interest tax.
  • He is one of the principal authors of the 2005 U.S. Chamber of Commerce study on telecom reform. 
  • He has written three books and hundreds of articles for The Wall Street Journal, China Daily, Barron’s, Forbes, Fortune, and other publications.