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20VC: Managing the Largest Sovereign Wealth Fund in the World: $1.55 Trn of Assets & Owning 1.5% of all Listed Companies with Nicolai Tangen, CEO @ Norges Bank Investment Management

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Mar 4, 2024

Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, leads the globe's largest sovereign wealth fund with $1.55 trillion in assets. He shares insights from his unique childhood in a religious town and how being a loner shaped his financial success. Nicolai discusses the overwhelming dominance of US tech firms, the societal impacts of AI, and his skepticism about Bitcoin. He analyzes China's investment potential and reflects on Europe's competitive standing, while also emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change through strategic investments.

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ANECDOTE

Early Life and Finance

Nicolai Tangen was a loner as a child who loved reading and school.
He found a love for finance early, collecting bottles and selling flowers to make money.

INSIGHT

Happiness and Freedom

Money does not equate to happiness, but rather provides freedom.
True happiness comes from within and is not dependent on future achievements.

ANECDOTE

Wharton and Ambition

Nicolai Tangen's move to Wharton sparked a shift in his ambitions.
He observed a stark contrast between Norwegian modesty and American ambition.

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Nicolai Tangen is the CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world with $1.55 Trn in assets, owning on average, 1.5% of every listed company. Tangen was previously Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer in AKO Capital, which he founded in 2005. Prior to this, Tangen was a partner and senior analyst at Egerton Capital and an equity analyst at Cazenove & Co.

In Today's Episode with Nicolai Tangen We Discuss:

From Religious Town in Norway to Leading the Largest Sovereign Wealth Fund:

What was Nicolai like as a child? How would his parents have described him?
Why does Nicolai think that loners have a greater chance/ability to make money?
What does Nicolai know now that he wishes he could tell a 20-year-old Nicolai?

The Top 10 Questions:

1. US Tech Firm Concentration: Is Nicolai concerned by the concentration of enterprise value in US tech firms? Have incumbents ever been as strong as they are today?

2. Impact of AI: What does Nicolai believe the impact of AI will be on society and productivity? What is his approach to investing in it moving forward?

3. Bitcoin: Why does Nicolai not want to hold Bitcoin? Why does he not understand it?

4. China: What would need to happen for China to be investable? How will the China situation play out?

5. Europe: Does Nicolai believe Europe is so far behind the US? Why? What can we do to improve?

6. Climate Change: How does Nicolai approach investing in climate? What works? What does not?

7. Sam Altman: Would Nicolai invest in Sam's new $7Trn project? What are some of Nicolai's biggest lessons from the time he has spent with Sam?

8. Investment Psychology: How does Nicolai retain a neutral investor psychology? How does he not get too up when doing well and too low when not doing well?

9. Investing Lessons: What are Nicolai's biggest investment hits and misses? What did he learn from them?

10. The Future: Why is Nicolai so optimistic about the future? What is he concerned about? How will we overcome our greatest challenges?