Arbitraging gold in 5th grade, investing in Facebook early, why traditional stocks can’t compete with crypto w/ Thane Ritchie

Thane Ritchie has over 30 years of experience in alternative investments, getting his start arbitraging gold at the tender age of 10. He is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Ritchie Capital Management, a privately held hedge fund sponsor. 

Thane has worked with innovative companies in insurance, energy, media, and technology. Thane saw the opportunity in Facebook very early on, becoming one of its first investors. Between 1998 and 2004, Thane grew a signature fund of $30 million dollars to a peak of $4 billion. 

During our chat, Thane describes how he was buying and selling commodities before he was old enough to have a paper route, explains why his stepfather—options guru Joe Ritchie—dissuaded him from studying economics in school, and talks about how building relationships with people who can see new paths forward has been key to his edge.  

Thane then shares his thoughts about why traditional stocks can't compete with crypto and tells us about InfiniteWorld—a metaverse infrastructure platform that enables brands to create, monetize, and drive consumer engagement with digital content.