CRISPIN ODEY

Born in 1959 in Yorkshire, England. Upper-class British background — his family had connections in the City of London.

Educated at Harrow School (one of Britain's most elite boarding schools) and Christ Church, Oxford.

Started his career at Barings Bank and Framlington Group. In 1991, he founded Odey Asset Management in London.

The fund became one of the most well-known in Europe, managing several billion dollars at its peak.

Odey made his name with several spectacular macro calls. In 2008, he shorted British banks before the financial crisis and reportedly made returns of over 50%.

In 2016, he bet on Brexit — positioning for sterling weakness and UK bank declines — and made another fortune when Britain voted to leave the EU.

But his career was also marked by volatility. He had significant losing years.

In 2020, he lost 30% betting against the stock market's post-COVID recovery. He kept shorting even as markets roared higher.

In 2021, allegations of sexual assault and harassment surfaced. Multiple women came forward.

While Odey denied the allegations and was acquitted of one charge, the reputational damage was catastrophic. By 2023, most investors had redeemed and the fund effectively shut down.

Staff left to form new firms. Odey's decades-long career ended not with a bad trade, but with a reckoning.

Odey Asset Management was the main vehicle — a London-based macro hedge fund that managed up to $12 billion at its peak. Odey himself ran the flagship European fund.

He also had a reputation as one of the most outspoken political voices in British finance — a major Brexit supporter and conservative party donor.

Macro and event-driven. Odey was a top-down thinker who made big bets on economic and political events.

He'd position for currency moves, interest rate changes, and political outcomes (like Brexit). He also went short aggressively — betting against companies and markets he thought were overvalued.

His style was high-conviction, high-volatility, and deeply contrarian.

The 2008 short. Odey shorted British and European banks before the financial crisis hit.

His flagship fund returned over 50% in 2008 while most investors were getting destroyed. He saw that UK banks were over-leveraged and bet against them with everything he had.

It was one of the best trades in European hedge fund history.

Everything after 2020. Odey kept shorting the stock market's post-COVID recovery and lost 30%.

Then the sexual assault allegations destroyed his reputation and fund. Investors fled.

Staff resigned. The fund effectively shut down.

A decades-long career ended in disgrace. The lesson: investment genius doesn't excuse everything else.

Markets are driven by fear and greed, and most investors are on the wrong side of both. Odey believed the market consensus is usually wrong at turning points.

His job was to identify those turning points and bet big. He was a classic contrarian — he made money when everyone else was panicking.

Was married to Nichola Pease, herself a prominent fund manager. They divorced.

The sexual assault allegations that emerged involved multiple women over a period of years. Odey denied all allegations and was acquitted of one charge, but the damage was done.

Harrow School (elite British boarding school). Christ Church, Oxford University.

The most establishment British education imaginable.

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