10 Things You Didn’t Know about Rob Arnott

Rob Arnott is a famous figure in the field of finance. Over the course of his career, he has been known for a number of roles that have included investor, editor, writer, and entrepreneur. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Rob Arnott:

1. Participated in Summer Science Program

When he was still a high school student, Arnott participated in the Summer Science Program. In short, it is a summer program started up by the Thacher School for the purpose of providing high school students with a taste of college-level education. Furthermore, it lets those same students participate in either astrophysics or biochemistry research.

2. Went to UCSB

For his college education, Arnott went to the University of California, Santa Barbara. In short, the school started out as an independent teacher’s college but went on to become one of the ten campuses that make up the University of California system. Nowadays, the University of California, Santa Barbara has an excellent reputation for conducting research, as shown by the fact that it is home to 10 national research centers.

3. Studied Economics, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Science

Given what he is best-known for, it is perhaps unsurprising to learn that Arnott studied economics, applied mathematics, and computer science in school. Each of these fields possesses a strong connection to finance. Economics is the basis of finance, while both applied mathematics and computer science are critical for quantitative investing.

4. Famous For Quantitative Investing

Speaking of which, it should be mentioned that Arnott is famous for quantitative investing. This refers to a kind of investing that is reliant on computers to extract useful insight from patterns found in financial data, which sees use by investors as well as the investment funds that have the right inclination as well as the necessary resources.

5. Has Published More than 100 Academic Papers

Arnott’s influence over his chosen field extends beyond his roles with investment funds. After all, he has published more than 100 academic papers in collaboration with a wide range of other academic figures, which should make it clear that he has been very involved in academia. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that Arnott’s research hasn’t been limited to a single field but has instead extended to cover a number of topics such as mutual fund returns and alternative index investing.

6. Sometimes Called “Godfather of Smart Beta”

Sometimes, Arnott has been called by the nickname of “Godfather of Smart Beta.” This is because he played an important role in developing better smart-beta index funds for a number of famous clients. Such funds see the use of a curious blend of passive investing with optimization techniques that are popular with those who prefer a more active approach to such things.

7. Still Believes in the Fundamental Rule

With that said, Arnott is still guided by the fundamental rule of buying low and selling high. This is the reason that he has recommended for interested individuals to sell their U.S. stocks. It is important to note that this isn’t because Arnott thinks that the U.S. market is headed for a bubble bursting or some other kind of financial catastrophe. Instead, this is because he thinks that U.S. stocks are expensive, meaning that he prefers to look elsewhere.

8. Interested in Emerging Markets

In particular, Arnott has stated that people should look into the stocks of emerging markets because in his opinion, there are stocks of emerging markets that offer good value at low prices.

9. Is a Libertarian

Politically, Arnott is a libertarian. This can be seen in how he supported Rand Paul’s run for the position of the Republican nominee for the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Furthermore, this can be see in his support for the Club for Growth, which can be summed up as a conservative organization that is focused on cutting taxes.

10. Called Trump an Unknown for the Markets

When the outcome of said election was still unknown, Arnott commented on both candidates. As far as he saw it, Hilary Clinton as president would be business as usual, whereas Donald Trump as president would be a complete unknown for the markets. Arnott cited Trump’s willingness to say anything as well as Trump’s curious choice of blasting crony capitalism while being one of its biggest beneficiaries for his opinion on this matter.