Man Who Paid Himself $3.9 Billion To Run Hedge Fund Thinks Guy Running Hedge Fund Is Overpaid
- Author:Jon Shazar
- Publish date:Aug 25, 2022
Also, the same man who failed to notice the continent-wide bribery ring run by his lieutenant isn’t impressed with the hedge fund’s corporate governance.
Once upon a time, there was a hedge-fund whose hand-picked board of directors paid him lavishly in spite of piss-poor returns, a swooning stock price, and spectacular failures in corporate governance up to and including a succession plan that failed to consider other candidates. That’s not our precis on Daniel Och’s tenure at his formerly eponymous hedge fund. Instead, it’s Och’s breathtakingly un-self-aware summary of that firm’s current CEO and his stewardship of the hastily-renamed Sculptor Capital Management.
Since taking the reins in April 2021, [Jimmy] Levin has “devoted himself to entrenching his position at the company, shaping the board of directors, and wielding that resulting leverage to extract ever-escalating pay packages,” the former executives alleged. “Yet, while bringing massive returns to his own pocket, Mr. Levin has delivered less than mediocre performance to the limited partners in Sculptor’s investment funds, and the company’s stock price has collapsed….”
The former executives of the firm, previously known as Och-Ziff, said they want to probe whether the board broke its duty to shareholders by failing to consider other CEO candidates or conduct proper succession planning.
That’s pretty rich coming from Och, given that the CEO in question is the former waterskiing instructor he groomed and anointed his successor, before deciding that Levin had become too big for his board shorts as the details of what was then Och-Ziff’s pan-African bribery program became clear. Especially given that Och’s succession plan became “sticking it to Jimmy Levin” and hanging around long enough to almost blow up the firm a second time before hastily bailing as Och-Ziff shares approached pink-sheet status. And that’s not the only bone he’s got to pick!
They also noted that seven directors have left since January 2020, including five who resigned in the middle of their terms.
“Levin has capitalized on these departures to appoint directors who appear handpicked to serve his interests,” according to the lawsuit.
Again, a bit tough to take given that one of those departures—of Och’s own hand-picked director, presumably there to serve his interests—resigned on what one must assume were Och’s orders as part of Och’s first move in this latest iteration of his blood feud with Levin.
To be sure, Och’s got some legitimate gripes: Levin’s pay package allegedly topped $145 million last year—although Sculptor notes that most of it is deferred—even as the hedge fund lost money and seen its shares fall by more than half since Levin took over. Even proxy advisory ISS has its concerns about Levin’s unusual pay package and structure. Still, it’s a bit hard to take from the man who presided over a 97% decline in share price. Still, you’ve got to admire Och’s chutzpah, even after accounting for the fact that he’s got plenty of free time on his hands and probably a blockchain-shaped hole in his bank account.
The former executives also said in the complaint that it’s “necessary to understand how the board has gotten to this point,” and that Levin’s tactics “have harmed, and are continuing to harm, Sculptor’s returns for its limited partners.”
Perhaps a look in the mirror would help explain it, Danny.
Hedge Fund Founder Och Sues Sculptor Over CEO’s ‘Ever-Escalating’ Pay [Bloomberg]
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Tagsterms:James LevinHedge FundslawHypocrisyDaniel OchSculptor Capital ManagementSuccessionCompensationlitigationcorporate governanceDan Och would never have allowed this kind of thing to go on under his watch. Corruption on a lavishly grand scale, yes, but not overpaying a f*cking ski instructor.
Hedge FundsAfter Demonstrating He Didn’t Have To, Dan Och Gives Up Control of Och-ZiffHe’s lost enough money to prove his point.
Hedge FundsDan Och Overdosing On SPACs, CryptosAnything to feel alive.
Hedge FundsDan Och Temper-Tantrum Kept His Son’s Former Waterskiing Instructor From Succeeding Him For All Of Three YearsWe’re sure he agrees it was well worth the trouble.
Hedge FundsWho Is This ‘Dan Och’ You Speak Of?The former Och-Ziff Capital Management no longer dares speak its founder’s name.
Hedge FundsDan Och Encouraged By Conversations He’s Having With Clients Racing Out The DoorOh, like EVERY fund isn't dealing with 11 figure withdrawals? Oh, they're not?
Hedge FundsAmerica Not The Only Thing Putting Painful Chapter Behind It This WeekThe former Och-Ziff Capital Management is done with its bribery dealings.
Hedge FundsTurns Out Hedge Fund Bribery Does Have VictimsOch-Ziff may not be Och-Ziff anymore, but it’s still paying dearly for Och-Ziff’s crimes.
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Originally posted on: https://dealbreaker.com/2022/08/man-who-paid-himself-3-9-billion-to-run-hedge-fund-thinks-guy-running-hedge-fund-is-overpaid