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Julian H. Robertson, Jr.
Donor of Our Foundation
    The Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation was endowed with an initial gift of $18 million from Julian H. Robertson, Jr. of New York, the son of Blanche and Julian Robertson, in whose memory the Foundation is named. Since the Foundation began in 1998, Mr. Robertson has given an additional $18 million to the Foundation’s asset base.A 1955 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mr. Robertson is a hedge fund manager, active philanthropist, environmentalist, proprietor of world class golf resorts, and vineyard owner and wine producer.

    Prior to co-founding Tiger Management in 1980, Mr. Robertson enjoyed a two decade career with Kidder Peabody and Company, beginning as a sales trainee and rising to become Chief Executive Officer of Webster Management Corporation, Kidder Peabody’s investment advisory subsidiary.

    From an initial capital investment of $8 million, Mr. Robertson built Tiger into the world’s largest hedge fund with capital of more than $23 billion. Tiger compounded at a gross rate of 31.5 % between its founding in 1980 and its closing in 2000. Today, Mr. Robertson maintains the Tiger firm to manage his own investments and to seed independent hedge funds, run by high-achieving, young managers.


    Julian H. Robertson, Jr

    In 1996, Mr. Robertson and his wife, Josie, founded the Robertson Foundation, based in New York City, to focus on large-scale, domestic, high impact grants in education, the environment, religion, and medical research. Among the Foundation’s major initiatives are active support of New York City’s public education reform, a merit-based scholarship program at Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill, and market-based solutions to combat global warming. In 2000, Mr. Robertson created Kauri Cliffs, a luxury lodge and golf course on New Zealand’s northern coast. In 2004, he opened a second course, Cape Kidnappers, in Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island. Golf magazine ranked both courses among the top 100 in the world. Mr. Robertson also owns two New Zealand wineries—Te Awa Farm and Dry River.

    Mr. Robertson is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller University, Catawba College, the Environmental Defense Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. He is also Vice-Chairman and former President of the Board of Trustees of the Cancer Research Institute, and a member of the Executive Committee of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, and of the National Board of Advisors of the Children’s Scholarship Fund. Mr. Robertson and his wife Josie are parents of three sons and reside in New York City.

SiT.