Monetary Matters with Jack Farley The Golden Age of Fundamental Commodities Trading with Tor Svelland of Svelland Capital (18.5% Annualized Since Inception)
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Aug 19, 2025 Tor Svelland, CIO and Founder of Svelland Capital, shares insights from his successful commodities-focused hedge fund, which has achieved an impressive 18.5% annualized return since 2017. He discusses the exciting landscape for commodities trading fueled by new market participants and structural undersupply. Svelland reveals how he grew his fund from personal capital to almost $1 billion, and he emphasizes the importance of global investor engagement while adapting to market shifts and the complexities of commodity strategies.
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Career Built On Physical Trading Experience
- Tor Svelland described his decades-long path from shipping hands-on work to founding Svelland Capital in 2017.
- He recounted roles at Klavenas, Carnegie, Goldman and Trafigura that shaped his commodity and trading expertise.
Fund With Your Own Capital First
- Start small and fund your launch with personal capital if you want control over strategy and ownership.
- Delay large external allocations until you prove track record and retain decision-making for partners.
Three-Year/$100M Credibility Barrier
- The first external credibility hurdles are three years of track record and roughly $100m AUM for institutional interest.
- ESG-driven underinvestment created structural supply gaps across oil, metals and shipping.