The Top Ten Ideal Hedge Fund Employers, 2024
JPMorgan topped our 2024-25 global Ideal Employer ranking far ahead of the rest of the top ten, but there were some very different dynamics at play among the world's most popular hedge funds.
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Over 8,000 people voted in this year's Ideal Employer survey. Those who chose a hedge fund as their Ideal Employer overwhelmingly preferred one above all others: Citadel. The scale of Citadel's success is remarkable: Ken Griffin's fund received more votes than second and third-placed Millennium Management & Renaissance Technologies combined.
Citadel is the biggest hedge fund in the world by employee numbers, employing as many investment staff as the next two biggest funds in the world combined. It's also one of biggest multi-strategy hedge funds in the world by assets under management (AUM). It’s also wildly successful - between its founding in 1990 and the current year, it has generated more than $74bn in gains for clients, more than any other hedge fund in history.
Citadel was ranked particularly highly by our voters for its pay. That’s not a surprise, given that the firm places second in our overall category for compensation, but Citadel is also considered 29% better for pay than rival hedge funds, a subset of firms generally known for their generosity.
A Citadel spokesperson says that “Citadel is a meritocracy where the best ideas win – regardless of title or tenure – and that has created a motivating and dynamic environment where team members can quickly realize their potential. Our team has found that if you’re ambitious, curious, and eager to make an impact, Citadel is a great place to be.”
Fourth-placed Point72’s head of investment professional development, Jaimi Goodfriend, says that the firm wants “this to be a place where people can build great careers,” and that professionals are welcome to “pursue big ideas, accelerate your growth, and surround yourself with incredibly smart people with unique perspectives.”
Download the full 2024 eFinancialCareers Ideal Employer report here.
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