Hedge Fund - Lansdowne Partners

Lansdowne Partners was established in 1998 by Sir Paul Ruddock, former head of international business at Schroders, who was honored with a knighthood on New Year's 2012 for his philanthropic contributions. Co-founder Steve Heinz, previously managing equities at Harvard Management, serves as Lansdowne's CFO and director. Upon its founding, Lansdowne Partners and John Armitage and William Bollinger's Egerton Capital were the only European hedge funds managing over $1 billion, a testament to their foresight. Under Sir Paul Ruddock's leadership as CEO, Lansdowne Partners has emerged as one of the world's most successful hedge funds. The firm's reputation is underscored by Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) owning a 19% stake acquired in 2006. As of the end of the third quarter of 2011, Lansdowne Partners managed just under $7.46 billion in assets.

The duo controversially adopted short positions in Northern Rock and HBOS during the peak of the credit crunch, aligning Lansdowne Partners with other hedge funds criticized for betting against bank stocks during the 2008 financial crisis. Despite this scrutiny, financials remain a prominent focus for Lansdowne Partners. As of the third quarter of 2011, a substantial portion of their portfolio was allocated to financial stocks. Additionally, the fund maintained positions in various large-cap US stocks, highlighting the diversity of its investment strategy.

Brian Heyworth serves as a Managing Partner and CEO at Lansdowne Partners, leveraging his extensive experience from previous roles at City Mental Health Alliance and HSBC. He holds a Master of Arts (MA) in Economics from the University of Cambridge, earned between 1984 and 1987.

Lansdowne Partners (UK) LLP is a distinguished hedge fund managing discretionary assets totaling $6,683,082,062 as of June 2023, as reported in their Form ADV. In their latest Q1 2024 13F filing, they disclosed managing $1,523,792,498 in 13F securities, with a significant concentration of 95.28% in their top 10 holdings. Notably, their largest holding is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd ADR, with 2,278,964 shares held.