Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Effective End of an Industry

It occurred to me yesterday that, as we approach the the $1,000,000,000,000 mark in losses from this mortgage induced economic and credit crisis, the size of the global hedge fund industry is estimated at somewhere between $1.5T and $2T in assets under management. (Or at least, it was prior to this crisis.)

So, if we really do hit $1.5T in losses as some of the extreme estimates have stated, we will have effectively wiped out the ENTIRE hedge fund industry. The ensuing liquidation will drive down prices on many financial assets, and drive quite a few people out of jobs.

Politicians really need to be careful what they wish for.

No comments: