20 Things You Didn’t Know About Mark Yusko

Mark Yusko is a famous hedge fund manager and American investor who is best known for his successful management of Morgan Creek Capital Management. He is a leader that many young hopefuls in the business world seek to emulate because of his proven track record of successes. We were interested in learning more about Mr. Yusko and how he came to be so popular and successful in his chosen field. Here are 20 things that we learned about him that you probably didn’t know, but might find intriguing.

1. He is the founder of Morgan Creek Capital Management

Mr. Yusko founded Morgan Creek Capital Management in 2004. He was the owner of the company who carefully oversaw the direction of the company. He served in multiple roles including as a managing director and chief investment officer. These are two of his strengths. He fulfilled both posts until January of 2013.

2. His opinion is highly valued in business

Mr. Yusko is a seasoned professional who has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience in investment and risk management. He has a proven track record of success and his analytical skills are sharp. This is why there are so many in prominent positions who value his opinion and his input. He has been appointed to several different boards where he shares his expertise. Mark has served on the Carolina Meadows non-profit retirement community board in Chapel Hill, a technology and economic development organization called MCNC, in the Research Triangle Park, Greensboro’s Weaver Foundation, and on many other boards for non-profits in the North Carolina area.

3. He is also known for his philanthropy

Mr. Yusko established the Morgan Creek Foundation in 2005, just one year after founding Morgan Creek Capital Management. Through the foundation, grants are awarded to community-based non-profits which maintain a focus upon education and a portion of the profits from the MCCM company are designated for donation to the foundation annually. He is doing his part to advocate for education within his local community.

4. Mark has been recognized for his generosity

Mr. Yusko is a generous person who deeply cares about his local community and the people who live there. His generosity has been officially recognized by the community that appreciates his efforts to help those who are in need around him. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce recognized Mark and the Morgan Creek Foundation with a Non-Profit of the Year Award in 2011.

5. Yusko has funded multiple scholarships

Mr. Yusko founded the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program in 2009. The program is a four-year scholarship and leadership development program that is merit-based. Those students selected to receive the scholarship must meet the established criteria as it is highly competitive. He funded the program through the University of Notre Dame with a gift of $35 million which is the third-largest gift that the University has ever received.

6. His donation made a prestigious list

Yusko’s gift of $35 million was so substantial that it made the news. It was listed on the Slate 60 list of “the largest American charitable contributions of 2009. Through the program, 25 scholarships were awarded in early 2010 and an additional 26 awards in early 2011. This generosity made it possible for students to get off to a good start in their education.

7. He has an ivy league education

Mark Yusko has a fondness in his heart for the University of Notre Dame because it is his alma mater. He attended the prestigious institution and graduated with his bachelor of science degree in 1985. He majored in biology and chemistry and graduated with honors.

8. Yusko has an advanced degree

After earning his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame, Mark Yusko continued his education. He enrolled in the University of Chicago’s MBA program and earned his graduate degree in accounting and finance. He went into the business world well-prepared from an academic perspective, and he held impressive credentials. Yusko has set a good example for young entrepreneurs who wonder how to get started on their journeys. It is by laying a solid foundation in education and gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to understand the basic principles of business.

9. Yusko founded Morgan Creek Digital Assets

Mark Yusko stepped down from his position as CEO, CIO, and director at Morgan Creek Capital Management in September of 2013. When he did so he wasn’t taking a break from his responsibilities, in fact, he was just stepping up his game. He founded a new company that he called Morgan Creek Digital Aspects. Through this new firm which he launched in 2018, Yusko implemented the Endowment Model of Investing which mandates investment in innovation, adn invested in blockchain technology, digital assets, and digital currency. This was accomplished through Morgan Creek Digital’s Venture Capital and Digital Asset Index Fund.

10. He also established UNC Management Company

Mr. Yusko has established several businesses throughout his career. one of them was the UNC Management Company. He did so prior to founding Morgan Creek Capital Management. UNCMC is an Endowment investment office which is a part of the Chapel Hill division of the University of North Carolina.

11. Yusko also worked at Notre Dame

Prior to joining the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mark Yusko was with the University of Notre Dame. He had a fondness for the institution as he had earned his undergraduate degree from the institution. He returned to the school five years after graduation to accept a job as the Senior Investment Director for the Investment Office of the University of Notre Dame.

12. He is 56 years old

Mark Yusko was born on May 9, 1963. As of the Spring of 2019, he was 56 years old. Mark has accomplished a great deal in his career before even reaching the age of 60. He is well-known for advising and managing investments of wealthy individuals, endowments, and pension funds. He favors the Endowment Model of investing which leans towards diversification strategies that separate assets by class in private and public markets.

13. He is also a popular commentator

Mark Yusko is no stranger when it comes to appearing on television. Yusko has made multiple appearances on Bloomberg TV, on CNBC, and other networks and he has also appeared in print on the Wall Street Journals, the New York Times, and other publications. There are those who look forward to any broadcast that he appears on or in because he is an expert on investing and he speaks about relevant current trends and issues within the world of investing.

14. Yusko promotes Bitcoin

In December of 2017, Mark Yusko predicted that Bitcoin would reach a $400,000 value in the long term. He even had the figures worked out and he presented them in a way that the average layperson could understand. He saw this as a viable market for investment and given his previous track record of successes in the investment and finance sector, his words were considered as a strong tip.

15. Yusko is an expert at endowment management

Mark has worked for two prestigious institutions of higher education with their endowment programs. He is a savvy investor who seems to understand which risks are the most appropriate to take for the best long-term results. He is an expert in strategic and tactical asset allocation as well as in selecting investment managers. Yusko just seems to have an intuition and a feel for these things. Yusko’s education and hands-on experience are a part of his formula for success, but these are things that also seem to come naturally to him. He’s good at what he does.

16. He is an innovator

When it comes to market volatility there is little that can be done by investors other than making the best possible decisions and hope for the best. It’s a risky business, but Yusko had a better idea. When he started the Morgan Creek Tactical Allocation Fund, it was designated for retail investors. The fund was a means of implementing a strategy to minimize volatility and bring back long-term total returns. This is one of the many innovative strategies that he has developed in his problem-solving strategies. It is no small wonder that his opinions are so widely respected by those in the finance and investment communities. Yusko is one of those rare individuals that sees a problem, then rolls up his sleeves to find the best possible solution.

17. Yusko co-founded Hatteras Investment Partners LLC

Another company that Mark Yusko was involved with establishing is the investment firm Hatteras Investment Partners LLC. One thing that he did well was to start up new ventures and get them firmly established. He serves as the chief operating officer as well as the chief investment officer of the new company and is presently serving in these positions.

Although he doesn’t quite qualify as a serial entrepreneur, he certainly has either founded or co-founded his share of new companies in the investment sector of business. Mr. Yusko is well-known for his ability to come up with a plan and set the wheels into motion. He is a creative genius in business and investing and what may not be apparent to some is crystal clear to him when it comes to problem-solving and moving beyond obstacles.

18. He was removed from his post at UNC

Yusko previously served as the endowment head at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There was a departure of clients that resulted in the fund blocking investors from pulling their money. The Endowment Fund was valued at an estimated $3 billion. It was a fund that Mr. Yusko had founded along with Salient Partners LP.

This was the one fund that experienced returns that were disappointing which caused many investors to pull out until the action to block them from doing so was taken. They were informed that the withdrawals went beyond the amount of new money that had been gathered for the past several quarters, and Yusko was removed from his post.

Clients were sent a notification that during the first quarter, they would receive five percent of their money. You cannot win them all, and sometimes investments don’t take the direction that you had hoped with regard to performance and this is one episode in his career that took a southern trajectory. So goes it in the investment business.

19. Mark has had his ups and downs

Mark Yusko is a brilliant investor who has had his share of ups and downs. Investment fund management is a risky business at best. Throughout his career, Mark has had some tremendous successes with investments at peak performance, but there have also been times when the investments have underperformed and not lived up to expectations. When all is said and done his track record has been successful with a few dips and disappointments but this has in no way tarnished his reputation for being one of the most highly respected entrepreneur and hedge fund managers in the United States.

20. He’s not finished yet

At the age of 56, Mark Yusko is still going strong. He is still in the prime of his career. He’s still forming new enterprises and is actively involved in charity work. He’s a generous benefactor who is working hard and making magic happen for the clients that he serves. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Mark twenty or even thirty years down the road assume the position as the eldest member of the staff as an independent director of a hedge fund in his golden years. His strong work ethic and passion to achieve success are likely to keep him in the business long after others have retired. He’s far from being finished because he is so good at what he does.

You can also read:

• 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Richard Thaler
• 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Bastian Lehmann
• 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Aram Green
• 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Joseph Megibow
• 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Matthew Prince