Capital Allocators – Inside the Institutional Investment Industry [REPLAY] - Ashby Monk – Asset Giant Futurist (Capital Allocators, EP.29)
Jan 12, 2026
Ashby Monk, an Executive and Research Director at Stanford's Global Projects Center, dives into innovative solutions for pension and sovereign fund challenges. He explores the contrasting pension models of Canada, Australia, and the U.S., emphasizing the importance of transparency in fees and internal management. Ashby discusses his groundbreaking venture, Long Game, which gamifies saving through prize-linked incentives. He also predicts an increasing reliance on private equity and critiques hedge funds for their talent allocation, advocating for more sustainable financial practices.
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Career Reset After 9/11
- Ashby Monk left banking and raced bicycles in Europe after 9/11 to rethink his career and values.
- He then pursued academic work at Oxford focused on economic geography and retirement systems.
Retirement Shortfall Is A Funding Problem
- The U.S. retirement problem is primarily a funding and political-will issue rather than a pure technical problem.
- Defined contribution models leave individuals to navigate a complex financial system they are ill-equipped for.
Structure Enables Better Pension Staffing
- Canada's crown-corporation model lets pension entities offer competitive compensation and build strong internal teams.
- That internal capability enables them to internalize functions and reduce excessive external fees.