141-469: John Alfred Paulson (born December 14, 1955) is an American billionaire hedge fund manager . He leads Paulson & Co. , a New York–based investment management firm he founded in 1994. He has been called "one of the most prominent names in high finance". He acquired much of his fortune in 2007 when he earned almost $ 4 billion and was transformed "from an obscure money manager into a financial legend" by using credit default swaps to effectively bet against
282-512: A Wall Street Journal op-ed piece suggesting an alternative to the Treasury Secretary's plan for stabilizing the markets. The alternative plan included recapitalizing the troubled financial institutions by spending the $ 700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program funds to buy their senior preferred stock rather than their "worst assets". In 2008 while testifying before US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Paulson
423-474: A Sidney J. Weinberg / Goldman Sachs scholarship, earning an MBA as a George F. Baker Scholar (top 5 percent of his class) in 1980. Paulson began his career at Boston Consulting Group in 1980 where he did research, providing advice to companies. Ambitious to work in investment on Wall Street, he left to join Odyssey Partners where he worked with Leon Levy . He moved on to Bear Stearns working in
564-414: A bull market , distressed investing works best during a bear market . Risk arbitrage or merger arbitrage includes such events as mergers , acquisitions, liquidations, and hostile takeovers . Risk arbitrage typically involves buying and selling the stocks of two or more merging companies to take advantage of market discrepancies between acquisition price and stock price. The risk element arises from
705-439: A counterparty to derivative contracts , and lends securities for particular investment strategies, such as long/short equities and convertible bond arbitrage . It can provide custodial services for the fund's assets, and trade execution and clearing services for the hedge fund manager. Hedge fund administrators are typically responsible for valuation services, and often operations , and accounting . Calculation of
846-1006: A lack of transparency . Another common perception of hedge funds is that their managers are not subject to as much regulatory oversight and/or registration requirements as other financial investment managers, and more prone to manager-specific idiosyncratic risks such as style drifts, faulty operations, or fraud. New regulations introduced in the US and the EU as of 2010 required hedge fund managers to report more information, leading to greater transparency. In addition, investors, particularly institutional investors, are encouraging further developments in hedge fund risk management, both through internal practices and external regulatory requirements. The increasing influence of institutional investors has led to greater transparency: hedge funds increasingly provide information to investors including valuation methodology, positions, and leverage exposure. Hedge funds share many of
987-535: A "fundamental growth" strategy invest in companies with more earnings growth than the overall stock market or relevant sector, while funds using a " fundamental value " strategy invest in undervalued companies. Funds that use quantitative and financial signal processing techniques for equity trading are described as using a "quantitative directional" strategy. Funds using a " short bias " strategy take advantage of declining equity prices using short positions. Event-driven strategies concern situations in which
1128-721: A $ 27 million commitment to establish the Paulson Bar-El Building for Computer Science and Engineering at Hebrew University. Paulson also contributed significantly to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in 2021 to celebrate the museum's 90th anniversary and has supported the Jerusalem Campus for the Arts. In 2000, Paulson married Jenny Zaharia in an Episcopalian ceremony in Southampton, New York ; Jenny
1269-440: A CTA from a regulatory perspective and the main divide is between systematic and discretionary strategies. A classification framework for CTA/Macro Strategies can be found in the reference. Directional investment strategies use market movements, trends, or inconsistencies when picking stocks across a variety of markets. Computer models can be used, or fund managers will identify and select investments. These types of strategies have
1410-431: A computerized system, known as "systematic/quantitative". The amount of diversification within the fund can vary; funds may be multi-strategy, multi-fund, multi-market, multi-manager, or a combination. Sometimes hedge fund strategies are described as " absolute return " and are classified as either " market neutral " or "directional". Market neutral funds have less correlation to overall market performance by "neutralizing"
1551-422: A financial beachhead in the region. These mergers helped BankAmerica Corporation to once again become the largest U.S. bank holding company in terms of deposits, but the company fell to second place in 1997 behind North Carolina's fast-growing NationsBank Corporation , and to third in 1998 behind First Union Corp. On the capital markets side, the acquisition of Continental Illinois helped BankAmerica to build
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#17327876599601692-521: A fund has too much exposure to a particular investment, sector, trading strategy, or group of correlated funds. These risks may be managed through defined controls over conflict of interest , restrictions on allocation of funds, and set exposure limits for strategies. Many investment funds use leverage , the practice of borrowing money, trading on margin , or using derivatives to obtain market exposure in excess of that provided by investors' capital. Although leverage can increase potential returns,
1833-446: A fund manager "drifting" away from an area of specific expertise, manager risk factors include valuation risk , capacity risk, concentration risk , and leverage risk . Valuation risk refers to the concern that the net asset value (NAV) of investments may be inaccurate; capacity risk can arise from placing too much money into one particular strategy, which may lead to fund performance deterioration; and concentration risk may arise if
1974-470: A good year. Earnings at the very top are higher than in any other sector of the financial industry, and collectively the top 25 hedge fund managers regularly earn more than all 500 of the chief executives in the S&;P 500 . Most hedge fund managers are remunerated much less, however, and if performance fees are not earned then small managers at least are unlikely to be paid significant amounts. In 2011,
2115-403: A greater appetite for risk , with the intention of maximizing returns, subject to the risk tolerance of investors and the fund manager. Managers will have an additional incentive to increase risk oversight when their own capital is invested in the fund. Hedge fund management firms typically charge their funds both a management fee and a performance fee . Management fees are calculated as
2256-604: A greater exposure to the fluctuations of the overall market than do market neutral strategies. Directional hedge fund strategies include US and international long/short equity hedge funds, where long equity positions are hedged with short sales of equities or equity index options . Within directional strategies, there are a number of sub-strategies. " Emerging markets " funds focus on emerging markets such as China and India, whereas "sector funds" specialize in specific areas including technology, healthcare, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, energy, and basic materials. Funds using
2397-439: A large amount of flexibility (due to their ability to use leverage to take large positions in diverse investments in multiple markets), the timing of the implementation of the strategies is important in order to generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns. Global macro is often categorized as a directional investment strategy. Global macro strategies can be divided into discretionary and systematic approaches. Discretionary trading
2538-599: A letter to the elite Manhattan Spence School , threatening to withdraw aid if the school continued its "alarming pattern" of "anti-white indoctrination". In the letter, they stated: "In fact for children of all races, we strongly believe that schools should value and define success in terms of hard work, earned accomplishment, merit, a commitment to academic rigor, and personal integrity." Paulson filed for divorce in September 2021, but later withdrew his divorce action so that both sides could negotiate out of court and away from
2679-428: A leveraged finance origination- and distribution business, which allowed the firm's existing broker-dealer, BancAmerica Securities (originally named BA Securities), to become a full-service franchise. In addition, in 1997, BankAmerica acquired Robertson Stephens , a San Francisco–based investment bank specializing in high technology for $ 540 million. Robertson Stephens was integrated into BancAmerica Securities, and
2820-604: A major investor in gold . Paulson became world-famous in 2007 by shorting the US housing market, as he foresaw the subprime mortgage crisis and bet against mortgage-backed securities by investing in credit default swaps . Sometimes referred to as the greatest trade in history, Paulson's firm made a fortune and he earned over $ 4 billion personally on this trade alone. Paulson worked with Goldman Sachs to provide liquidity for low-performing home loans in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada. Together, Paulson and Goldman created
2961-445: A management fee of 2% on total assets and a 20% fee on realized gains. In the 1970s, hedge funds specialized in a single strategy with most fund managers following the long/short equity model. Many hedge funds closed during the recession of 1969–1970 and the 1973–1974 stock market crash due to heavy losses. They received renewed attention in the late 1980s. During the 1990s, the number of hedge funds increased significantly with
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#17327876599603102-400: A manager is only rewarded if the fund generates returns in excess of the returns that the investor would have received if they had invested their money elsewhere. Some hedge funds charge a redemption fee (or withdrawal fee) for early withdrawals during a specified period of time (typically a year), or when withdrawals exceed a predetermined percentage of the original investment. The purpose of
3243-422: A manager will sometimes close a fund that has suffered serious losses and start a new fund, rather than attempt to recover the losses over a number of years without a performance fee. Some performance fees include a " hurdle ", so that a fee is only paid on the fund's performance in excess of a benchmark rate ( e.g. , LIBOR ) or a fixed percentage. The hurdle is usually tied to a benchmark rate such as Libor or
3384-560: A number of industry groups in Europe, as well as cutting numerous banking and sales and trading positions in North America and Asia prior to its merger with Merrill Lynch. On October 3, 2008, Bank of America announced that John Thain would lead the combined Bank of America/ Merrill Lynch Global Corporate and Investment Banking enterprise. Thain was forced out by Bank of America Chairman Kenneth D. Lewis on January 22, 2009, because of
3525-400: A percentage of the fund's net asset value and typically range from 1% to 4% per annum, with 2% being standard. They are usually expressed as an annual percentage, but calculated and paid monthly or quarterly. Management fees for hedge funds are designed to cover the operating costs of the manager, whereas the performance fee provides the manager's profits. However, due to economies of scale
3666-665: A position based on the predicted movement of the security or securities in question. Large institutional investors such as hedge funds are more likely to pursue event-driven investing strategies than traditional equity investors because they have the expertise and resources to analyze corporate transactional events for investment opportunities. Corporate transactional events generally fit into three categories: distressed securities , risk arbitrage , and special situations . Distressed securities include such events as restructurings, recapitalizations , and bankruptcies . A distressed securities investment strategy involves investing in
3807-681: A potential Secretary of the Treasury if he wins the 2024 election. Between 2009 and 2011 Paulson made several charitable donations, including $ 15 million to the Center for Responsible Lending , $ 20 million to New York University Stern School of Business (auditorium now named after Paulson), $ 5 million to the Southampton Hospital on Long Island, $ 15 million to build a children's hospital in Guayaquil , Ecuador , and £2.5 million to
3948-482: A proxy fight to try to replace Yahoo's board. In 2010, he set another hedge fund record by making nearly $ 5 billion in a single year, primarily investing in the gold sector. However, in 2011, he made losing investments in Bank of America , Citigroup and the fraud-suspected China-based Canadian-listed company, Sino-Forest Corporation . His flagship fund, Paulson Advantage Fund, fell sharply in 2011. Paulson has also become
4089-405: A separate company that eventually became First Interstate Bancorp , later acquired by Wells Fargo and Company in 1996. Only in the 1980s, with a change in federal banking legislation and regulation, could Bank of America again expand its domestic consumer banking activity outside California. New technologies also allowed the direct linking of credit cards with individual bank accounts. In 1958,
4230-612: A series of acquisitions in the late 1980s. This represented, at the time, the largest bank acquisition in history. Federal regulators, however, forced the sale of roughly half of Security Pacific's Washington subsidiary, the former Rainier Bank , as the combination of Seafirst and Security Pacific Washington would have given BankAmerica too large a share of the market in that state. The Washington branches were divided and sold to West One Bancorp (now U.S. Bancorp ) and KeyBank . Later that year, BankAmerica expanded into Nevada by acquiring Valley Bank of Nevada. In 1994, BankAmerica acquired
4371-630: A significant amount of work for Financial Sponsors, or private equity firms, often financing leveraged transactions. On the product side, the firm employed M&A senior bankers throughout the industry coverage groups. BAS also had a stand-alone Mergers & Acquisitions Group, consisting of bankers that transact M&A deals across all industries, as well as a Transaction Development Group, which aimed to identify and market transaction opportunities. The unit also had sizeable fixed income, currency and commodities divisions. During 2007–2008, BAS significantly downsized its international operations, eliminating
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4512-410: A single strategy or multiple strategies for flexibility, risk management , or diversification. The hedge fund's prospectus , also known as an offering memorandum , offers potential investors information about key aspects of the fund, including the fund's investment strategy, investment type, and leverage limit. The elements contributing to a hedge fund strategy include the hedge fund's approach to
4653-627: A state of maturity that is consolidating around the larger, more established firms such as Citadel, Elliot, Millennium, Bridgewater, and others. The rate of new fund start ups is now outpaced by fund closings. In July 2017, hedge funds recorded their eighth consecutive monthly gain in returns with assets under management rising to a record $ 3.1 trillion. Hedge fund strategies are generally classified among four major categories: global macro , directional, event-driven , and relative value ( arbitrage ). Strategies within these categories each entail characteristic risk and return profiles. A fund may employ
4794-401: A strategy based on predicting the final approval of new pharmaceutical drugs ; and legal catalyst strategy, which specializes in companies involved in major lawsuits. Relative value arbitrage strategies take advantage of relative discrepancies in price between securities. The price discrepancy can occur due to mispricing of securities compared to related securities, the underlying security or
4935-496: A substantial portion of the asset management industry, with assets totaling around $ 3.8 trillion as of 2021. The word "hedge", meaning a line of bushes around the perimeter of a field, has long been used as a metaphor for placing limits on risk. Early hedge funds sought to hedge specific investments against general market fluctuations by shorting other, similar assets. Nowadays, however, many different investment strategies are used, many of which do not "hedge" risk. During
5076-579: Is a replica of the 1909 Bank of Italy branch bank in History Park in San Jose, and the 1925 Bank of Italy Building is an important downtown landmark. Giannini sought to build a national bank, expanding into most of the western states as well as into the insurance industry , under the aegis of his holding company, Transamerica Corporation . In 1953 regulators succeeded in forcing the separation of Transamerica Corporation and Bank of America under
5217-602: Is carried out by investment managers who identify and select investments, whereas systematic trading is based on mathematical models and executed by software with limited human involvement beyond the programming and updating of the software. These strategies can also be divided into trend or counter-trend approaches depending on whether the fund attempts to profit from following market trend (long or short-term) or attempts to anticipate and profit from reversals in trends. Within global macro strategies, there are further sub-strategies including "systematic diversified", in which
5358-666: Is common for hedge fund investment strategies to aim to achieve a positive return on investment regardless of whether markets are rising or falling (" absolute return "). Hedge funds can be considered risky investments; the expected returns of some hedge fund strategies are less volatile than those of retail funds with high exposure to stock markets because of the use of hedging techniques. Research in 2015 showed that hedge fund activism can have significant real effects on target firms, including improvements in productivity and efficient reallocation of corporate assets. Moreover, these interventions often lead to increased labor productivity, although
5499-882: Is considered within the " Bulge Bracket " as the third largest investment bank in the world , as of 2018 . Its wealth management side manages US$ 1.081 trillion in assets under management (AUM) as the second largest wealth manager in the world , after UBS . In commercial banking, Bank of America operates, but does not necessarily maintain, retail branches in all 50 states of the United States, Washington, D.C. , and over 40 other countries. Its commercial banking footprint encapsulates 46 million consumer and small business relationships at 4,600 banking centers and 16,000 automated teller machines (ATMs). The bank's large market share, business activities, and economic impact has led to numerous lawsuits and investigations regarding both mortgages and financial disclosures dating back to
5640-538: Is one of the Big Four banking institutions of the United States. It serves about 10 percent of all American bank deposits, in direct competition with JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup , and Wells Fargo . Its primary financial services revolve around commercial banking , wealth management , and investment banking. Through mergers, the oldest branch of the Bank of America franchise can be traced to 1784, when Massachusetts Bank
5781-557: Is reduced but cannot be eliminated. According to a report by the Hennessee Group, hedge funds were approximately one-third less volatile than the S&P 500 between 1993 and 2010. Investors in hedge funds are, in most countries, required to be qualified investors who are assumed to be aware of the investment risks , and accept these risks because of the potential returns relative to those risks. Fund managers may employ extensive risk management strategies in order to protect
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5922-506: Is the major case relating to fund administrator liability for failure to handle its NAV-related obligations properly. There, the hedge fund administrator and other defendants settled in 2016 by paying the Anwar investor plaintiffs $ 235 million. Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at
6063-479: The 1990s stock market rise , the aligned-interest compensation structure ( i.e. , common financial interests), and the promise of above average returns as likely causes. Over the next decade, hedge fund strategies expanded to include credit arbitrage, distressed debt , fixed income , quantitative , and multi-strategy. US institutional investors , such as pension and endowment funds , began allocating greater portions of their portfolios to hedge funds. During
6204-453: The 2008 financial crisis . Its corporate practices of servicing the middle class and wider banking community have yielded a substantial market share since the early 20th century. As of August 2018 , Bank of America has a $ 313.5 billion market capitalization , making it the 13th largest company in the world . As the sixth largest American public company, it garnered $ 102.98 billion in sales as of June 2018 . Bank of America
6345-594: The Abacus 2007-AC1 investment vehicle and kept Paulson's bet against the underlying assets hidden from people who purchased it. Paulson escaped indictment because his firm maintained that it was always transparent about its view of the mortgages that had been securitized and that the assets were not without risk. Goldman was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission and had to reach a settlement for Abacus. On July 15, 2010, Goldman settled out of court, agreeing to pay
6486-514: The Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina , with investment banking and auxiliary headquarters in Manhattan . The bank was founded by the merger of NationsBank and Bank of America in 1998. It is the second-largest banking institution in the United States and the second-largest bank in the world by market capitalization , both after JPMorgan Chase . Bank of America
6627-816: The Bank of America Tower , a $ 1 billion, 58-story skyscraper, at Bryant Park in New York City that was completed in 2009. Prior to that, BAS in New York had offices in various locations due to the numerous mergers that had taken place over the previous decade, including space at 9 West 57th Street, 1 World Trade Center , 1633 Broadway, 40 East 52nd Street, 335 Madison Avenue, and 100 West 33rd Street. In 2001, McColl stepped down as CEO and named Ken Lewis as his successor. In 2004, Bank of America announced it would purchase Boston-based bank FleetBoston Financial for $ 47 billion in cash and stock. By merging with Bank of America, all of its banks and branches were given
6768-463: The Bank of Italy , in San Francisco. In 1922, Bank of America, Los Angeles was established with Giannini as a minority investor. The two banks merged in 1928 and consolidated with other bank holdings to create what would become the largest banking institution in the country. In 1918, another corporation, Bancitaly Corporation, was organized by A. P. Giannini, the largest stockholder of which
6909-592: The Clayton Antitrust Act . The passage of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 prohibited banks from owning non-banking subsidiaries such as insurance companies. Bank of America and Transamerica were separated, with the latter company continuing in the insurance sector. However, federal banking regulators prohibited Bank of America's interstate banking activity, and Bank of America's domestic banks outside California were forced into
7050-514: The Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Co. of Chicago. At the time, no bank possessed the resources to bail out Continental, so the federal government operated the bank for nearly a decade. Illinois then regulated branch banking extremely heavily, so Bank of America Illinois was a single-unit bank until the 21st century. BankAmerica moved its national lending department to Chicago in an effort to establish
7191-680: The Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan . In 2022, New York University announced that Paulson had donated $ 100 million towards the cost of a new building in its Washington Square Campus. The building was named the John A. Paulson Center in recognition of the gift. In 2024, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem awarded Paulson an honorary doctorate in recognition of his extensive philanthropic contributions to Israeli cultural and educational institutions. His support for Israeli initiatives includes
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#17327876599607332-675: The Justice Department announced a $ 335 million settlement with Bank of America over discriminatory lending practice at Countrywide Financial. Attorney General Eric Holder said a federal probe found discrimination against qualified African-American and Latino borrowers from 2004 to 2008. He said that minority borrowers who qualified for prime loans were steered into higher-interest-rate subprime loans . On September 14, 2008, Bank of America announced its intention to purchase Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. in an all-stock deal worth approximately $ 50 billion. Merrill Lynch
7473-716: The London School of Economics for the John A. Paulson Chair in European Political Economy. In October 2012, Paulson donated $ 100 million to the Central Park Conservancy , the nonprofit organization that maintains New York City's Central Park . At the time of the donation, the gift represented the largest monetary donation in the history of New York City's park system. In June 2015, Paulson donated $ 400 million to Harvard University's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS),
7614-942: The National Association of Securities Dealers . The use of " Banc " in the BAS's name was indicative of the fact that the company was not a bank , and its deposits and other holdings were not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation . The subsidiary was founded in 1998 following a strategy pioneered by Citigroup that combines corporate lending with investment banking advice and services. During its years of operation its strongest investment banking groups included high-yield debt underwriting and Leveraged Finance, in addition to industry coverage groups such as Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Global Industries, Media & Telecom, Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Gaming. BAS also did
7755-425: The U.S. subprime mortgage lending market . In 2010, Paulson earned $ 4.9 billion. The Forbes real-time tracker estimated his net worth at $ 3 billion as of January 2023. A Donald Trump supporter, Paulson was a major donor to Trump's 2016 , 2020 , and 2024 presidential campaigns. Trump has publicly floated Paulson as a potential Secretary of the Treasury following his victory in the 2024 election . Paulson
7896-408: The net asset value ("NAV") by the administrator, including the pricing of securities at current market value and calculation of the fund's income and expense accruals, is a core administrator task, because it is the price at which investors buy and sell shares in the fund. The accurate and timely calculation of NAV by the administrator is vital. The case of Anwar v. Fairfield Greenwich (SDNY 2015)
8037-726: The 1,226 people on the Forbes World's Billionaires List for 2012, 36 of the financiers listed "derived significant chunks" of their wealth from hedge fund management. Among the richest 1,000 people in the United Kingdom, 54 were hedge fund managers, according to the Sunday Times Rich List for 2012. A portfolio manager risks losing his past compensation if he or she engages in insider trading . In Morgan Stanley v. Skowron , 989 F. Supp. 2d 356 (S.D.N.Y. 2013), applying New York's faithless servant doctrine,
8178-496: The 1950s, passage of landmark federal banking legislation facilitated rapid growth, quickly establishing a prominent market share. After suffering a significant loss after the 1998 Russian bond default , BankAmerica, as it was then known, was acquired by the Charlotte-based NationsBank for US$ 62 billion. Following what was then the largest bank acquisition in history , the Bank of America Corporation
8319-512: The 2007 race. The deal increased Bank of America's presence in Illinois , Michigan , and Indiana by 411 branches, 17,000 commercial bank clients, 1.4 million retail customers, and 1,500 ATMs. Bank of America became the largest bank in the Chicago market with 197 offices and 14% of the deposit share, surpassing JPMorgan Chase . LaSalle Bank and LaSalle Bank Midwest branches adopted
8460-481: The Bank of America logo. At the time of merger, FleetBoston was the seventh largest bank in United States with $ 197 billion in assets, over 20 million customers and revenue of $ 12 billion. Hundreds of FleetBoston workers lost their jobs or were demoted, according to The Boston Globe . On June 30, 2005, Bank of America announced it would purchase credit card giant MBNA for $ 35 billion in cash and stock. The Federal Reserve Board gave final approval to
8601-484: The Bank of America name on May 5, 2008. During the subprime mortgage crisis , the bank, under Ken Lewis , made two major acquisitions that would shape the future of the company for the next couple years coming out of the crisis. Specifically the bank was sued by many different parties and made to pay tens of billions of dollars. On August 23, 2007, the company announced a $ 2 billion repurchase agreement for Countrywide Financial . This purchase of preferred stock
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#17327876599608742-656: The BankBoston name and trademarks were not part of the transaction, as part of the sale agreement, they cannot be used by Bank of America in Brazil, Chile or Uruguay following the transactions. Hence, the BankBoston name has disappeared from Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. The Itaú stock received by Bank of America in the transactions has allowed Bank of America's stake in Itaú to reach 11.51%. Banco de Boston de Brazil had been founded in 1947. On November 20, 2006, Bank of America announced
8883-520: The CFO at public-relations firm Ruder Finn . After dropping out of college then realizing that his previously chosen career path in sales would not provide a steady and secure cash flow, John Paulson returned to NYU in 1976, where he began to excel in business studies. In 1978, he graduated valedictorian of his class summa cum laude in finance from New York University's College of Business and Public Administration. He went on to Harvard Business School , on
9024-531: The Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Trump in 2012. Together with his spouse, Paulson contributed $ 831,370 to Donald Trump 's 2020 presidential campaign . Paulson has been a major fundraiser for Donald Trump's 2024 campaign . On April 6, 2024, the Trump campaign self-reported a $ 50.5 million fundraising haul at John Paulson's Palm Beach house. In March 2024, it was reported that Trump floated Paulson as
9165-476: The SEC and investors US$ 550 million, including $ 300 million to the U.S. government and $ 250 million to investors, one of the largest penalties ever paid by a Wall Street firm. Paulson contributed $ 140,000 to political candidates and parties between 2000 and 2010, 45% of which went to Republicans , 16% to Democrats , and 36% to special interests, including former House Speaker John Boehner . In 2008, Paulson co-wrote
9306-453: The U.S. Army, where he served and was wounded in Italy during World War II . He later changed his surname from Paulsen to Paulson. John's mother, Jacqueline, was the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and Romania who had moved to New York City. She met Alfredo while they both attended UCLA . They wed and moved to New York City, where Alfredo worked at Arthur Andersen and later as
9447-654: The US bull market of the 1920s, there were numerous private investment vehicles available to wealthy investors. Of that period, the best known today is the Graham-Newman Partnership, founded by Benjamin Graham and his long-time business partner Jerry Newman. This was cited by Warren Buffett in a 2006 letter to the Museum of American Finance as an early hedge fund, and based on other comments from Buffett, Janet Tavakoli deems Graham's investment firm
9588-436: The United States and Europe following the financial crisis of 2007–2008 with the intention of increasing government oversight of hedge funds and eliminating certain regulatory gaps. While most modern hedge funds are able to employ a wide variety of financial instruments and risk management techniques, they can be very different from each other with respect to their strategies, risks, volatility and expected return profile. It
9729-484: The United States at that time. Giannini and Monnette headed the resulting company, serving as co-chairs. Giannini introduced branch banking shortly after 1909 legislation in California allowed for branch banking in the state, establishing the bank's first branch outside San Francisco in 1909 in San Jose. By 1929 the bank had 453 banking offices in California with aggregate resources of over US$ 1.4 billion. There
9870-547: The United States collectively held $ 1.335 trillion. In April 2012, the hedge fund industry reached a record high of US$ 2.13 trillion total assets under management. In the middle of the 2010s, the hedge fund industry experienced a general decline in the "old guard" fund managers. Dan Loeb called it a "hedge fund killing field" due to the classic long/short falling out of favor because of unprecedented easing by central banks . The US stock market correlation became untenable to short sellers . The hedge fund industry today has reached
10011-419: The acquisition did not go through, and later Bank of America were forced to request federal assistance, the management of Bank of America would be "gone". Other emails, read by Congressman Dennis Kucinich during the course of Lewis' testimony, state that Mr. Lewis had foreseen the outrage from his shareholders that the purchase of Merrill would cause, and asked government regulators to issue a letter stating that
10152-480: The acquisition of Merrill Lynch and that federal official pressured him to proceed with the deal or face losing his job and endangering the bank's relationship with federal regulators. Lewis's statement is backed up by internal emails subpoenaed by Republican lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee. In one of the emails, Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker threatened that if
10293-543: The acquisition on December 5, 2008, and the deal closed January 1, 2009. Bank of America had planned to retain various members of the then Merrill Lynch's CEO, John Thain 's management team after the merger. However, after Thain was removed from his position, most of his allies left. The departure of Nelson Chai , who had been named Asia-Pacific president, left just one of Thain's hires in place: Tom Montag, head of sales and trading. The bank, in its January 16, 2009, earnings release, revealed massive losses at Merrill Lynch in
10434-547: The acquisition, which was completed in July 2008, giving the bank a substantial market share of the mortgage business, and access to Countrywide's resources for servicing mortgages. The acquisition was seen as preventing a potential bankruptcy for Countrywide. Countrywide, however, denied that it was close to bankruptcy. Countrywide provided mortgage servicing for nine million mortgages valued at $ 1.4 trillion as of December 31, 2007. This purchase made Bank of America Corporation
10575-521: The bank introduced the BankAmericard, which changed its name to Visa in 1977. A coalition of regional bankcard associations introduced Interbank in 1966 to compete with BankAmericard. Interbank became Master Charge in 1966 and then Mastercard in 1979. From February 1970 through September 1971, there were 66 attacks on Bank of America branches in California, including 53 bombings or fire-bombings, and 13 arson fires. There were "few injuries" and
10716-426: The benefits may not fully accrue to workers in terms of increased wages or work hours. A hedge fund usually pays its investment manager a management fee (typically, 2% per annum of the net asset value of the fund) and a performance fee (typically, 20% of the increase in the fund's net asset value during a year). Hedge funds have existed for many decades and have become increasingly popular. They have now grown to be
10857-479: The bonds or loans of companies facing bankruptcy or severe financial distress, when these bonds or loans are being traded at a discount to their value. Hedge fund managers pursuing the distressed debt investment strategy aim to capitalize on depressed bond prices. Hedge funds purchasing distressed debt may prevent those companies from going bankrupt, as such an acquisition deters foreclosure by banks. While event-driven investing, in general, tends to thrive during
10998-640: The brokerage firm Charles Schwab and Co. back to Mr. Schwab . It also sold Bank of America and Italy to Deutsche Bank . By the time of the 1987 stock-market crash , BankAmerica's share price had fallen to $ 8, but by 1992 it had rebounded mightily to become one of the biggest gainers of that half-decade. BankAmerica's next big acquisition came in 1992. The company acquired Security Pacific Corporation and its subsidiary Security Pacific National Bank in California and other banks in Arizona , Idaho , Oregon , and Washington , which Security Pacific had acquired in
11139-783: The colossal losses visited on B of A due to its acquisition of Merrill Lynch. With Thain's departure, Brian Moynihan became president of Global Banking and Global Wealth and Investment Management. After the merger was closed, the SEC Registration of Banc of America Securities was terminated in January 2011. BAS operated from a number of offices across the world, with major offices in New York, New York , Charlotte, North Carolina , Chicago, Illinois , San Francisco, California , Tokyo , Frankfurt , London , and Mumbai . The bulk of its investment banking operations eventually moved to
11280-435: The combined subsidiary was renamed "BancAmerica Robertson Stephens". In 1997, BankAmerica lent investment management firm D. E. Shaw & Co. $ 1.4 billion to run various businesses for the bank. However, D.E. Shaw suffered significant loss after the 1998 Russia bond default . NationsBank of Charlotte acquired BankAmerica in 1998 in what was the largest bank acquisition in history at that time. While NationsBank
11421-541: The court held that a hedge fund's portfolio manager engaging in insider trading in violation of his company's code of conduct, which also required him to report his misconduct, must repay his employer the full $ 31 million his employer paid him as compensation during his period of faithlessness. The court called the insider trading the "ultimate abuse of a portfolio manager's position". The judge also wrote: "In addition to exposing Morgan Stanley to government investigations and direct financial losses, Skowron's behavior damaged
11562-609: The effect of market swings whereas directional funds utilize trends and inconsistencies in the market and have greater exposure to the market's fluctuations. Hedge funds using a global macro investing strategy take large positions in share, bond, or currency markets in anticipation of global macroeconomic events in order to generate a risk-adjusted return . Global macro fund managers use macroeconomic ("big picture") analysis based on global market events and trends to identify opportunities for investment that would profit from anticipated price movements. While global macro strategies have
11703-492: The events involved merger arbitrage—which has been described as waiting "until one company announces that it's buying another, rushing to purchase the target company's shares, shorting the acquirer's stock (unless it's a cash deal), and then earn the differential between the two share prices when the merger closes." An example of a proxy event investment Paulson made was during Yahoo's proxy contest in May 2008, when Carl Icahn launched
11844-431: The fee is to discourage short-term investing, reduce turnover, and deter withdrawals after periods of poor performance. Unlike management fees and performance fees, redemption fees are usually kept by the fund and redistributed to all investors. Hedge fund management firms are often owned by their portfolio managers , who are therefore entitled to any profits that the business makes. As management fees are intended to cover
11985-540: The firm's operating costs, performance fees (and any excess management fees) are generally distributed to the firm's owners as profits. Funds do not tend to report compensation, and so published lists of the amounts earned by top managers tend to be estimates based on factors such as the fees charged by their funds and the capital they are thought to have invested in them. Many managers have accumulated large stakes in their own funds and so top hedge fund managers can earn extraordinary amounts of money, perhaps up to $ 4 billion in
12126-736: The firm's reputation, a valuable corporate asset." A hedge fund is an investment vehicle that is most often structured as an offshore corporation , limited partnership , or limited liability company . The fund is managed by an investment manager in the form of an organization or company that is legally and financially distinct from the hedge fund and its portfolio of assets . Many investment managers utilize service providers for operational support. Service providers include prime brokers, banks, administrators, distributors, and accounting firms. Prime brokers clear trades and provide leverage and short-term financing . They are usually divisions of large investment banks. The prime broker acts as
12267-604: The first decade of the 21st century, hedge funds gained popularity worldwide, and, by 2008, the worldwide hedge fund industry held an estimated US$ 1.93 trillion in assets under management (AUM). However, the financial crisis of 2007–2008 caused many hedge funds to restrict investor withdrawals and their popularity and AUM totals declined. AUM totals rebounded and in April 2011 were estimated at almost $ 2 trillion. As of February 2011 , 61% of worldwide investment in hedge funds came from institutional sources. In June 2011,
12408-471: The first hedge fund. The sociologist Alfred W. Jones is credited with coining the phrase " hedged fund" and is credited with creating the first hedge fund structure in 1949. Jones referred to his fund as being "hedged", a term then commonly used on Wall Street to describe the management of investment risk due to changes in the financial markets . Jones also developed the popular 2-and-20 structure of hedge funds, in which hedge funds charged investors
12549-585: The four main categories, there are several strategies that do not entirely fit into these categories. For an investor who already holds large quantities of equities and bonds, investment in hedge funds may provide diversification and reduce the overall portfolio risk. Managers of hedge funds often aim to produce returns that are relatively uncorrelated with market indices and are consistent with investors' desired level of risk. While hedging can reduce some risks of an investment it usually increases others, such as operational risk and model risk , so overall risk
12690-506: The fourth quarter, which necessitated an infusion of money that had previously been negotiated with the government as part of the government-persuaded deal for the bank to acquire Merrill. Merrill recorded an operating loss of $ 21.5 billion in the quarter, mainly in its sales and trading operations, led by Tom Montag. The bank also disclosed it tried to abandon the deal in December after the extent of Merrill's trading losses surfaced, but
12831-652: The fund and investors. According to the Financial Times , "big hedge funds have some of the most sophisticated and exacting risk management practices anywhere in asset management." Hedge fund managers that hold a large number of investment positions for short periods are likely to have a particularly comprehensive risk management system in place, and it has become usual for funds to have independent risk officers who assess and manage risks but are not otherwise involved in trading. A variety of different measurement techniques and models are used to estimate risk according to
12972-654: The fund trades in diversified markets, or sector specialists such as "systematic currency", in which the fund trades in foreign exchange markets or any other sector specialisation. Other sub-strategies include those employed by commodity trading advisors (CTAs), where the fund trades in futures (or options ) in commodity markets or in swaps. This is also known as a "managed future fund". CTAs trade in commodities (such as gold) and financial instruments, including stock indices . They also take both long and short positions, allowing them to make profit in both market upswings and downswings. Most global macro managers tends to be
13113-436: The fund's net asset value , whereas private-equity funds generally invest in illiquid assets and return capital only after a number of years. Other than a fund's regulatory status, there are no formal or fixed definitions of fund types, and so there are different views of what can constitute a "hedge fund". Although hedge funds are not subject to the many restrictions applicable to regulated funds, regulations were passed in
13254-464: The fund's leverage, liquidity, and investment strategy. Non-normality of returns, volatility clustering and trends are not always accounted for by conventional risk measurement methodologies and so in addition to value at risk and similar measurements, funds may use integrated measures such as drawdowns . In addition to assessing the market-related risks that may arise from an investment, investors commonly employ operational due diligence to assess
13395-419: The government had ordered him to complete the deal to acquire Merrill. Lewis, for his part, states he didn't recall requesting such a letter. The acquisition made Bank of America the number one underwriter of global high-yield debt , the third largest underwriter of global equity and the ninth largest adviser on global mergers and acquisitions. As the credit crisis eased, losses at Merrill Lynch subsided, and
13536-418: The hedge fund management firms with the greatest AUM were Bridgewater Associates (US$ 58.9 billion), Man Group (US$ 39.2 billion), Paulson & Co. (US$ 35.1 billion), Brevan Howard (US$ 31 billion), and Och-Ziff (US$ 29.4 billion). Bridgewater Associates had $ 70 billion in assets under management as of March 2012 . At the end of that year, the 241 largest hedge fund firms in
13677-402: The hedge fund manager must identify an upcoming event that will increase or decrease the value of the company's equity and equity-related instruments. Other event-driven strategies include credit arbitrage strategies, which focus on corporate fixed income securities; an activist strategy, where the fund takes large positions in companies and uses the ownership to participate in the management;
13818-490: The largest financial services company in the world. Temasek Holdings , the largest shareholder of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., briefly became one of the largest shareholders of Bank of America, with a 3% stake. However, taking a loss Reuters estimated at $ 3 billion, the Singapore sovereign wealth fund sold its whole stake in Bank of America in the first quarter of 2009. Shareholders of both companies approved
13959-536: The largest gift received in the university's history. Following the donation, the engineering school was renamed the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The next month, he gifted $ 8.5 million to New York City's largest charter school organization, Success Academy , to change public education and open up middle schools in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn and in
14100-693: The leading mortgage originator and servicer in the U.S., controlling 20–25% of the home loan market. The deal was structured to merge Countrywide with the Red Oak Merger Corporation, which Bank of America created as an independent subsidiary. It has been suggested that the deal was structured this way to prevent a potential bankruptcy stemming from large losses in Countrywide hurting the parent organization by keeping Countrywide bankruptcy remote . Countrywide Financial has changed its name to Bank of America Home Loans . In December 2011,
14241-539: The management fee from larger funds can generate a significant part of a manager's profits, and as a result some fees have been criticized by some public pension funds, such as CalPERS , for being too high. The performance fee is typically 20% of the fund's profits during any year, though performance fees range between 10% and 50%. Performance fees are intended to provide an incentive for a manager to generate profits. Performance fees have been criticized by Warren Buffett , who believes that because hedge funds share only
14382-456: The market overall. Hedge fund managers can use various types of analysis to identify price discrepancies in securities, including mathematical, technical , or fundamental techniques. Relative value is often used as a synonym for market neutral , as strategies in this category typically have very little or no directional market exposure to the market as a whole. Other relative value sub-strategies include: In addition to those strategies within
14523-592: The market, the particular instrument use, the market sector the fund specializes in ( e.g. , healthcare), the method used to select investments, and the amount of diversification within the fund. There are a variety of market approaches to different asset classes , including equity , fixed income , commodity , and currency . Instruments used include equities, fixed income, futures , options , and swaps . Strategies can be divided into those in which investments can be selected by managers, known as "discretionary/qualitative", or those in which investments are selected using
14664-560: The media. In 2022, Zaharia sued Paulson for $ 1 billion in damages. In 2024, Paulson was reportedly engaged to be married to 35-year-old clinical dietitian Alina de Almeida. John Paulson has an older sister named Theodora Bar-El, an Israeli biologist. Hedge fund A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that holds liquid assets and that makes use of complex trading and risk management techniques to improve investment performance and insulate returns from market risk . Among these portfolio techniques are short selling and
14805-533: The merged company was and still is headquartered in Charlotte, and retains NationsBank's pre-1998 stock price history. All U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings before 1998 are listed under NationsBank, not Bank of America. NationsBank president, chairman, and CEO Hugh McColl , took on the same roles with the merged company. In 1998, Bank of America possessed combined assets of $ 570 billion, as well as 4,800 branches in 22 U.S. states. Despite
14946-452: The merger on December 15, 2005, and the merger closed on January 1, 2006. The acquisition of MBNA provided Bank of America a leading domestic and foreign credit card issuer. The combined Bank of America Card Services organization, including the former MBNA, had more than 40 million U.S. accounts and nearly $ 140 billion in outstanding balances. Under Bank of America, the operation was renamed FIA Card Services. Bank of America operated under
15087-594: The mergers and acquisitions department, and then to Gruss Partners LP, where he was a general partner. In 1994, he founded his own hedge fund, Paulson & Co. , with $ 2 million and one employee, located in office space rented from Bear Stearns on the 26th floor of 277 Park Avenue . The firm moved to 57th and Madison in 2001. By 2003, his fund had grown to $ 300 million in assets. Paulson and his company specialize in "event-driven" investments—i.e. in mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, proxy contests, etc.—and he has made hundreds of such investments throughout his career. Many of
15228-507: The name BankBoston in many other Latin American countries, including Brazil. In May 2006, Bank of America and Banco Itaú (Investimentos Itaú S.A.) entered into an acquisition agreement, through which Itaú agreed to acquire BankBoston's operations in Brazil, and was granted an exclusive right to purchase Bank of America's operations in Chile and Uruguay , in exchange for Itaú shares. The deal
15369-413: The one-year Treasury bill rate plus a spread. A "soft" hurdle means the performance fee is calculated on all the fund's returns if the hurdle rate is cleared. A "hard" hurdle is calculated only on returns above the hurdle rate. By example the manager sets a hurdle rate equal to 5%, and the fund return 15%, incentive fees would only apply to the 10% above the hurdle rate. A hurdle is intended to ensure that
15510-499: The opportunity for larger gains is weighed against the possibility of greater losses. Hedge funds employing leverage are likely to engage in extensive risk management practices. In comparison with investment banks , hedge fund leverage is relatively low; according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, the average leverage for investment banks is 14.2, compared to between 1.5 and 2.5 for hedge funds. Some types of funds, including hedge funds, are perceived as having
15651-481: The possibility that the merger or acquisition will not go ahead as planned; hedge fund managers will use research and analysis to determine if the event will take place. Special situations are events that impact the value of a company's stock, including the restructuring of a company or corporate transactions including spin-offs , share buy backs , security issuance/repurchase, asset sales, or other catalyst-oriented situations. To take advantage of special situations
15792-470: The problems on his predecessor, A. W. (Tom) Clausen , Clausen was appointed to replace Armacost. The losses resulted in a huge decline of BankAmerica stock, making it vulnerable to a hostile takeover . First Interstate Bancorp of Los Angeles (which had originated from banks once owned by BankAmerica), launched such a bid in the fall of 1986, although BankAmerica rebuffed it, mostly by selling operations. It sold its FinanceAmerica subsidiary to Chrysler and
15933-491: The profits and not the losses, such fees create an incentive for high-risk investment management. Performance fee rates have fallen since the start of the credit crunch . Almost all hedge fund performance fees include a " high water mark " (or "loss carryforward provision"), which means that the performance fee only applies to net profits ( i.e. , profits after losses in previous years have been recovered). This prevents managers from receiving fees for volatile performance, though
16074-686: The property damage cost about $ 500,000, 80% of which was from the burning of the Isla Vista branch during a February 1970 riot. Following passage of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 by the U.S. Congress , BankAmerica Corporation was established for the purpose of owning and operating Bank of America and its subsidiaries. In 1983, Bank of America expanded outside California , through acquisition, orchestrated in part by Stephen McLin of Seafirst Corporation in Seattle , and its wholly owned banking subsidiary, Seattle-First National Bank. Seafirst
16215-639: The purchase of The United States Trust Company for $ 3.3 billion, from the Charles Schwab Corporation . US Trust had about $ 100 billion of assets under management and over 150 years of experience. The deal closed July 1, 2007. On September 14, 2007, Bank of America won approval from the Federal Reserve to acquire LaSalle Bank Corporation from ABN AMRO for $ 21 billion. With this purchase, Bank of America possessed $ 1.7 trillion in assets. A Dutch court blocked
16356-570: The red carpet to attract us." In 2011, Paulson donated $ 1 million to Mitt Romney 's Super PAC Restore Our Future . On April 26, 2012, Paulson hosted a fund-raiser at his New York townhouse for Romney's presidential candidacy. At the 2014 Puerto Rico Investment Summit in San Juan , Paulson stated: " Puerto Rico will become the Singapore of the Caribbean." Paulson was reportedly investing in
16497-416: The risk that error or fraud at a hedge fund might result in a loss to the investor. Considerations will include the organization and management of operations at the hedge fund manager, whether the investment strategy is likely to be sustainable, and the fund's ability to develop as a company. Since hedge funds are private entities and have few public disclosure requirements, this is sometimes perceived as
16638-477: The sale until it was later approved in July. The acquisition was completed on October 1, 2007. Many of LaSalle's branches and offices had already taken over smaller regional banks within the previous decade, such as Lansing and Detroit-based Michigan National Bank . The acquisition also included the Chicago Marathon event, which ABN AMRO acquired in 1996. Bank of America took over the event starting with
16779-454: The same types of risk as other investment classes, including liquidity risk and manager risk. Liquidity refers to the degree to which an asset can be bought and sold or converted to cash; similar to private-equity funds, hedge funds employ a lock-up period during which an investor cannot remove money. Manager risk refers to those risks which arise from the management of funds. As well as specific risks such as style drift , which refers to
16920-518: The size of the two companies, federal regulators insisted only upon the divestiture of 13 branches in New Mexico , in towns that would be left with only a single bank following the combination. These branches were sold to BOK Financial Corporation , which operates them under the name "Bank of Albuquerque". The broker-dealer, NationsBanc Montgomery Securities, was named Banc of America Securities in 1998. Banc of America Securities LLC ( BAS ),
17061-528: The subsidiary generated $ 3.7 billion of Bank of America's $ 4.2 billion in profit by the end of quarter one in 2009, and over 25% in quarter 3 2009. On September 28, 2012, Bank of America settled the class-action lawsuit over the Merrill Lynch acquisition and will pay $ 2.43 billion. This was one of the first major securities class action lawsuits stemming from the financial crisis of 2007–2008 to settle. Many major financial institutions had
17202-508: The territory's municipal debt and real estate developments, and was building a home at a resort. Paulson received media attention when he immediately backed Donald Trump after Trump secured the Republican nomination in 2016 . Paulson served as one of the top economic advisers to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Paulson had established a relationship with Trump prior to the campaign, with Paulson and other investors having sold
17343-490: The top manager earned $ 3 billion, the tenth earned $ 210 million, and the 30th earned $ 80 million. In 2011, the average earnings for the 25 highest-compensated hedge fund managers in the United States was $ 576 million while the mean total compensation for all hedge fund investment professionals was $ 690,786 and the median was $ 312,329. The same figures for hedge fund CEOs were $ 1,037,151 and $ 600,000, and for chief investment officers were $ 1,039,974 and $ 300,000, respectively. Of
17484-404: The underlying investment opportunity and risk are associated with an event. An event-driven investment strategy finds investment opportunities in corporate transactional events such as consolidations, acquisitions , recapitalizations , bankruptcies , and liquidations . Managers employing such a strategy capitalize on valuation inconsistencies in the market before or after such events, and take
17625-743: The use of leverage and derivative instruments . In the United States, financial regulations require that hedge funds be marketed only to institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals . Hedge funds are considered alternative investments . Their ability to use leverage and more complex investment techniques distinguishes them from regulated investment funds available to the retail market, commonly known as mutual funds and ETFs . They are also considered distinct from private equity funds and other similar closed-end funds as hedge funds generally invest in relatively liquid assets and are usually open-ended . This means they typically allow investors to invest and withdraw capital periodically based on
17766-402: Was Stockholders Auxiliary Corporation. This company acquired the stocks of various banks located in New York City and certain foreign countries. In 1928, Giannini merged his bank with Bank of America, Los Angeles , headed by Orra E. Monnette . Bank of Italy was renamed on November 3, 1930, to Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association , which was the only such designated bank in
17907-601: Was a Romanian immigrant who came to the United States after her brother George, a track star in Romania, defected and moved to Queens . The couple had two daughters and lived most of the year in a 28,500-square-foot Upper East Side townhouse on East 86th Street, bought in 2004 for $ 14.7 million. Paulson also owned a home in Aspen, Colorado , purchased for $ 24.5 million in 2010 and an estate in Southampton that he bought for $ 41 million in 2008. In 2017, Paulson and his wife wrote
18048-474: Was acquired by Bank of Italy of San Francisco, which took the Bank of America name two years later. The eastern portion of the Bank of America franchise can be traced to 1784, when Massachusetts Bank was chartered, the first federally chartered joint-stock owned bank in the United States and only the second bank to receive a charter in the United States. This bank became FleetBoston , with which Bank of America merged in 2004. In 1874, Commercial National Bank
18189-521: Was arranged to provide a return on investment of 7.25% per annum and provided the option to purchase common stock at a price of $ 18 per share. On January 11, 2008, Bank of America announced that it would buy Countrywide Financial for $ 4.1 billion. In March 2008, it was reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was investigating Countrywide for possible fraud relating to home loans and mortgages. This news did not hinder
18330-665: Was asked about the low tax rate on long-term capital gains and carried interest earnings and Paulson replied "I believe our tax situation is fair." In a 2012 interview with Bloomberg Businessweek magazine he expressed displeasure over the Occupy Wall Street movement, saying, "We pay a lot of taxes, especially living in New York—there's an almost 13 percent city and state tax rate. ... Most jurisdictions would want to have successful companies like ours located there. I'm sure if we wanted to go to Singapore, they'd roll out
18471-515: Was at risk of seizure by the federal government after becoming insolvent due to a series of bad loans to the oil industry . BankAmerica continued to operate its new subsidiary as Seafirst rather than Bank of America until the 1998 merger with NationsBank. BankAmerica experienced huge losses in 1986 and 1987 due to the placement of a series of bad loans in the Third World . The company fired its CEO, Sam Armacost , in 1986. Though Armacost blamed
18612-439: Was at the time within days of collapse, and the acquisition effectively saved Merrill from bankruptcy. Around the same time Bank of America was reportedly also in talks to purchase Lehman Brothers , however a lack of government guarantees caused the bank to abandon talks with Lehman. Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy the same day Bank of America announced its plans to acquire Merrill Lynch. This acquisition made Bank of America
18753-537: Was born on December 14, 1955, in Queens, New York City , the third of four children of Alfred G. Paulson (1924–2002) and Jacqueline (née Boklan, 1926–2018). His father was born Alfredo Guillermo Paulsen in Ecuador to a father of half French and half Norwegian descent and an Ecuadorian mother. Alfredo was orphaned at fifteen, and at age sixteen moved to Los Angeles with his younger brother, Alberto. Alfredo enlisted in
18894-479: Was chartered, the first federally chartered joint-stock owned bank in the United States. Another branch of its history goes back to the U.S.-based Bank of Italy , founded by Amadeo Pietro Giannini in 1904, which provided various banking options to Italian immigrants who faced service discrimination . Headquartered in San Francisco, California , Giannini acquired Banca d'America e d'Italia , in 1922. In
19035-565: Was compelled to complete the merger by the U.S. government. The bank's stock price sank to $ 7.18, its lowest level in 17 years, after announcing earnings and the Merrill mishap. The market capitalization of Bank of America, including Merrill Lynch, was then $ 45 billion, less than the $ 50 billion it offered for Merrill just four months earlier, and down $ 108 billion from the merger announcement. Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis testified before Congress that he had some misgivings about
19176-709: Was founded in Charlotte. That bank merged with American Trust Company in 1958 to form American Commercial Bank. Two years later it became North Carolina National Bank when it merged with Security National Bank of Greensboro. In 1991, it merged with C&S / Sovran Corporation of Atlanta and Norfolk to form NationsBank . The central portion of the franchise dates to 1910, when Commercial National Bank and Continental National Bank of Chicago merged in 1910 to form Continental & Commercial National Bank, which evolved into Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust . The history of Bank of America dates back to October 17, 1904, when Amadeo Pietro Giannini (1870–1949) founded
19317-423: Was founded. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, it built upon its commercial banking business by establishing Merrill Lynch for wealth management and Bank of America Merrill Lynch for investment banking in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and since renamed BofA Securities. Both Bank of America and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management retain large market shares in their respective offerings. The investment bank
19458-506: Was ranked No. 25 on the 2020 Fortune 500 rankings of the largest US corporations by total revenue. Likewise, Bank of America was also ranked No. 6 on the 2023 Global 2000 rankings done by Forbes. Bank of America was named the "World's Best Bank" by the Euromoney Institutional Investor in its 2018 Awards for Excellence. Bank of America, Los Angeles was founded in California in 1923. In 1928, this entity
19599-685: Was signed in August 2006. Prior to the transaction, BankBoston's Brazilian operations included asset management, private banking, a credit card portfolio, and small, middle-market, and large corporate segments. It had 66 branches and 203,000 clients in Brazil. BankBoston in Chile had 44 branches and 58,000 clients and in Uruguay, it had 15 branches. In addition, there was a credit card company, OCA, in Uruguay, which had 23 branches. BankBoston N.A. in Uruguay, together with OCA, jointly served 372,000 clients. While
19740-554: Was the investment banking subsidiary of BoA from 1998 until BoA was merged with Merrill Lynch (2008). Headquartered in New York City, the company competed in both the domestic and international equity and investment banking markets. The company was a registered broker-dealer with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and was a member of the New York Stock Exchange and
19881-414: Was the nominal survivor, the merged bank took the better-known name of Bank of America. Hence, the holding company was renamed Bank of America Corporation, while NationsBank, N.A. merged with Bank of America NT&SA to form Bank of America, N.A. as the remaining legal bank entity. The combined bank operates under Federal Charter 13044, which was granted to Giannini's Bank of Italy on March 1, 1927. However,
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