Anthony Scaramucci – It's Called a Mooch (Capital Allocators, EP.60)

The name Anthony Scaramucci currently has 55% name recognition in the U.S. according to Politico. Anthony has been an entrepreneur in the hedge fund industry for 23 years, growing to prominence within the industry through his oversight of fund of funds Skybridge Capital, creation of the popular SALT conference, regular television appearances, and rejuvenation of the iconic television show Wall Street Week. He grew to prominence worldwide when his longtime political interests led to a brief tenure as White House Communications Director in 2017.

Our conversation starts off with a bang and turns to the ups and downs in Anthony's career, including getting fired and rehired at Goldman Sachs, starting and selling his first hedge fund, creating Skybridge and watching it almost fail, and thriving after the financial crisis. We discuss Anthony's thoughts on hedge funds, lessons from his stint in Washington, and books he has written about his experiences. Along the way, he shares life lessons about managing people, building relationships, resiliency, laughing at yourself, greed, ego, and fame.

Anyone who has only known Anthony from his recent public profile might be surprised to hear the depth of his insight, self-effacing honesty and caring of others, alongside his irrepressible salesmanship. Those who have known him longer will recognize the same Mooch as always in all his splendor.

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Show Notes

2:48 – Anthony's professional history

8:03 – Time at Oscar Capital/Neuberger Berman

9:25 – Neuberger sells to Lehman

10:13 – Leaving Lehman to start Skybridge

13:13 – Getting through the financial crisis

14:04 – Launching SALT conference

15:35 – Buying Citigroup's fund of funds business

17:34 – Anthony's approach to the hedge fund business

20:28 – How he handles the relationships with managers

22:15 – Environment for the hedge fund space

24:12 – After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead

26:02 – Hedge fund space moving forward

28:03 – What he learned from being fired

31:22 – Handling public adversity

32:40 – Selling the business to serve the country

35:35 – Life lessons learned throughout his career and shared in his books

35:40 – Goodbye Gordon Gekko: How to Find Your Fortune Without Losing Your Soul

38:40 – The Little Book of Hedge Funds

38:44 – Hopping over the Rabbit Hole: How Entrepreneurs Turn Failure into Success

39:20 – The key principles that Anthony tries to impart on his team

41:47 – Lessons in launching a hedge fund business

45:00 – What changed upon his return to Skybridge

46:33 – How does it feel to be famous

48:10 – Closing questions

56:06– The China Mission: George Marshall's Unfinished War, 1945-1947