Logo
SubscribeSign In
LeaderPortfolio
Billionaire Profile
Clifford Asness
Global Rank
#646

Image: Hedge Funds | CC BY 3.0 | via Wikimedia Commons

Clifford Asness

CEO, Money management
UNITED STATES
Real-Time Net Worth
$6.282B
Estimated based on Money management stock value as of March 6, 2026
0% (24h)
Age
59
Source
Money management, Self Made
Industry
Finance & Investments
Citizenship
UNITED STATES

Biography

Clifford Asness is an American hedge fund manager and co-founder of AQR Capital Management. With a net worth of $2.9 billion as of October 2025, he is a prominent figure in the finance industry. Asness's wealth stems from money management and his success at AQR, a firm known for its factor-based investing strategies. His career includes early experience at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, followed by the founding of AQR Capital Management in 1998. He is an active researcher and has contributed to significant academic work in finance, earning him recognition and awards. Asness, an outspoken critic of high fees and regulatory capture, is known for his insights and commentary on the financial markets.

Fact Checked
Verified by Editorial Team
Live Data
Updated 3/6/2026

Wealth Over Time

In-Depth Profile

Early Life and Education

Clifford Scott Asness was born on October 17, 1966, in Queens, New York, to a Jewish family. He graduated from Herricks High School. Asness received dual bachelor's degrees in computer science and finance from the University of Pennsylvania (summa cum laude), and he went on to earn an MBA with high honors and a PhD in finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. During his time at Chicago Booth, he was a teaching assistant to Nobel laureate Eugene Fama and economist Kenneth French.

Rise to Success

Asness began his career at Goldman Sachs Asset Management's quantitative research desk in 1990, where he developed models to evaluate risk in currencies, bonds, and entire economies. In 1998, he co-founded AQR Capital Management with David Kabiller, John Liew, and Robert Krail. By 2019, AQR had become an investment firm running one of the world's largest hedge funds. AQR employs factor-based investing and offers a range of products from hedge funds to mutual funds.

Key Business Strategies

AQR's strategies often invest in stocks and other securities based on attributes, factors like value and momentum, believed to produce higher returns over time. AQR aims to combine the virtues of passive and active investing.

Philanthropy

Asness is also a philanthropist, supporting causes related to education and financial research.

Career Milestones

1990

Began Career at Goldman Sachs

Joined Goldman Sachs Asset Management's quantitative research desk, developing models to evaluate risk in currencies, bonds, and economies.

1998

Co-founded AQR Capital Management

Co-founded AQR Capital Management with David Kabiller, John Liew, and Robert Krail.

2010

AQR Assets Under Management

AQR had $33 billion in assets under management (AUM).

2020

Sold Miami Beach Penthouse

Sold his Miami Beach penthouse for $22 million.

Philanthropy & Social Impact

Humanitarian Aid

International Rescue Committee

Undisclosed

Board member of the International Rescue Committee.

Business Philosophy & Leadership

Notable Quotes

""If a Keynesian and a Luddite married, and had a very very slow witted child, he'd be you," Asness tweeted at a person who recently supported Bill Gates' idea that robots should be taxed."

Leadership Principles

Factor-based investing

Employing strategies based on factors such as value and momentum to produce higher returns.

Quantitative research

Using algorithms and computerized models to trade stocks, bonds, currencies, and commodities.

Controversies & Challenges

2018

Twitter Argument

Engaged in a heated argument on Twitter, using intemperate language against a user arguing in favor of a jobs guarantee.

Compare Clifford Asness

Net Worth Face-off
Clifford Asness vs Elon Musk
Compare Wealth →
Net Worth Face-off
Clifford Asness vs Jeff Bezos
Compare Wealth →
Net Worth Face-off
Clifford Asness vs Mark Zuckerberg
Compare Wealth →