The biggest university endowment in the world is Harvard at near $53 billion; the largest one in Japan is Osaka University with investible holdings at almost $4 billion. Other major universities in Japan, such as Waseda or Keio, run even smaller endowments. Surprisingly, the elite University of Tokyo manages only about $120 million in reserves.
Category: Private Placement
Hollywood Pauses Russia
The international outcry over Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has been so great that the major Hollywood studios had little choice but to abandon the Russian market, at least temporarily. The race to the exit was started by Disney, with Warner Brothers, Sony, and Paramount following suit. Other media-related departures include
Mark Cuban Adds Retail Pharmaceuticals to His Empire
Billionaire Mark Cuban announced the roll-out of his self-branded Cost Plus Drug Company this week. In the United States, the firm operates as an online distributor for prescription medications at a flat mark-up over manufacturers’ cost. Customers pay out-of-pocket; no insurance is accepted.
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Oman Intensifies Commitment to Zanzibar
Zanzibar may not be top-of-mind as a business destination for most global investors. For the Oman Investment Fund, though, the island is now home to another pivotal infrastructure investment. We estimate that the value of a just-announced tourism-port project could reach $100 million, depending on scope, by the time it is completed over
Is Covid-19 Decimating Venture Capital?
Not really. But it does change the complexion of the industry materially. While the focus in the past may have been on financing portfolio companies that show the best growth prospects, the new reality is keeping portfolio companies alive long enough to be able to figure out which ones can pivot or excel amid the new economic backdrop.
Indian Elite Embrace Family Offices
What do billionaires in India do with their money? The question is more practical than quaint. They can wrestle with myriad financial advisors, plow funds back into their established businesses, or go it alone, investing on a best-efforts basis in selected deals. The fast-evolving option, at least in India, may be to start a family office.