S.Mutaga III, that is very impressive I must say. Congratulations for a job well done. Personally if you can prove to me (through your cds account or other logical evidence) that this is true and not hype, I am more than willing to let you manage some funds for me. I may also have a few friends who may be interested - but I am sure they may want to use me as a guinea pig first.

As far as academic credentials are concerned, CPA and CSIA -assuming CSIA is Cert. Syst Int.audit) are more geared towards financial reporting and assessing internal controls. They are beneficial when it comes to analyzing businesses but on their own may not be sufficient to allow you to pursue your intended goal. Having had the privilege to interact with a few big shot fund managers I note that the industry standard is CFA. This may take you about three years depending on your aptitude and seriousness. Dont do the one offered by local institutions (KASNEB I think it is) but rather the global one. I have also noted that MBA's from certain international business schools are highly regarded in this field. Most notably Harvard business School, Wharton, Judge BS, London School of Business et al. You can google this for a more comprehensive analysis and list. The B school option is roughly one year for European b schools and 2 years for American. Make sure its a top tier Bschool though.

That having been said,my experience has been that academic credentials only get you through the door. To become a successful fund manager it is all about delivering results ie always beating whatever index your fund tracks. There is a chap I really like called Jim Cramer- he was a journalist before starting a hedge fund which gave a compounded return of 24 % for over 15 years. http://www.cnbc.com/id/1...e_Biography_About__CNBC . he proves your academic training isnt everything- its your ability to consistently deliver great results.

All the best and please post your email for those of us who may want to get in touch.

@S.MutagaIII what you have achieved is really commendable!

I personally am on the same path to be a top hedge fund manager so maybe we could share..

1. To have a clear knowledge of how world economies function I got a Bsc. Economics

2. To have a clear knowledge of tax issues, cost issues, balance sheets and corporate reporting I completed my ACCAs! (I feel CPA(K) is skewed too much to the local environment + I like ACCAs global acceptance)

3. To be a globally recognised top notch financial analyst I am currently undertaking CFA® (Level II)

4. To follow the global benchmark which insists on graduate studies I also intend to take on a Msc. Risk management..

I have about 4-5 more years to achieve these goals God willing & then its off to wall street!

Goodluck in your endeavors!

I don't know if there is any specific qualification to be an hedge fund manager but one thing is needed, charisma as a salesman, you can have all the education but without above average charisma you are not going to make. Most successful hedge fund managers have been successful all their lifes, they just have in them, just like CEOs and politicians, people skills matter because until someone can trust you with their money, you won't have an opportunity to prove that you can make 30% return, even if you can!

You are already an above par investor and congrats for that..However am thinkng for a portfollio to grow from 20k to 173k in less than 3 yrs one has to be extremly luky..perhaps you rode on a counter that retuned 100% consecutively, in 1st and 2nd yrs raising ua investmts to 80k at tha begining of 3rd yr...mmm

Just to make it clear...i used to add like 1000 every month on average...am sorry I forgot to point this out...but thats not the reason I started this thread...i seek to know how best to be a hedge fund manager...i dont want to manage anyones cash currently coz i am not qualified

@Guru267 Hope you have managed to achieve most if not all the targets so far.

Your observations about hedge fund managers doing considerably well are correct but there are a few things that need clarification.

1. The environment in Kenya is not yet conducive for hedge funds. Most hedge funds are domiciled in tax havens and I think that Mauritius is the nearest tax haven. Although unregulated in most countries, I doubt that you can operate any kind of fund in Kenya that will not be subject to regulation.

2. Hedge funds should only be open to sophisticated (qualified) investors. This means that the investors must understand the risk that a hedge fund exposes them to. A qualified investor is one who can stomach 100% loss of his investment.

3. A hedge fund is not your run of the mill investment fund. Other than investing in sometimes complex investments (the hedging part), you would have to demonstrate expertise in other techniques. Some managers buy distressed securities only while some are contrarian. Some specialize in short trading only. Currently, the types of investment options available in Kenya are limited meaning that you would have to choose from a small pool.

4. Leverage trading, many hedge funds maintain margin accounts with their bankers meaning that at times they trade on credit. When this is the case, risk management is king.

5. Should your hedge fund attract investments from investors in other countries and especially the U.S , there are certain conditions that you would need to fulfill especially with regard to taxation.

I worked in the industry in 2005 - 2007 so I can share a secret or two

A typical hedge fund manager profile http://www.bloomberg.com...protege-dies-at-49.html


CBM Capital was one of my clients

It depends on what type of investments you want to be running in the hedge fund because the financial instruments industry is vast. Not all hedge funds participate in the same type of investments; they all have their niche.

For now, judging by your post, it seems that you are good at what you're doing and the track record should act as proof that you know what you're doing and is simply not guess work. You can take a look at https://twitter.com/arluka_ent to check out a type of investments company in Kenya.

Hope it helps.