Early Life and Education
Jeffrey Marc Talpins was born in New York City and raised in Larchmont, New York. He attended Horace Mann School, where he developed a passion for economics and finance. Talpins graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University in 1997, earning a B.S. with Distinction in Economics and Applied Mathematics (focus in Finance).
Rise to Success
Talpins began his career in the Mortgage Backed Securities Department at Goldman Sachs. He later became the Head Trader of Citigroup's Fixed Income Options, where he is credited with expanding the business. In 2005, he launched Element Capital with seed capital from Vega Asset Management. Under his leadership, Element Capital's assets under management grew from $250 million to a peak of $18 billion in 2019. The firm has consistently performed well, with an average of 21% annual returns since its inception.
Key Business Strategies
Element Capital employs a 'Modern Macro' style of global macro investing, which integrates macro fundamental, systematic, and relative value analysis. Talpins uses options to capture growth from strategies aimed at predicting global economic shifts while also limiting potential losses. The firm's investment approach emphasizes the preservation of capital, targeting high risk-adjusted returns regardless of market conditions. The firm has shifted towards managing a smaller asset base with the goal of generating higher returns, following three consecutive years of losses.
Philanthropy
Talpins is involved in philanthropy through the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation. He serves on the board of trustees for the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) and the American Prairie Foundation. He also supports various Jewish organizations. In 2021, his foundation partnered with the Atlantic Council to launch the Abraham Dialogues project to improve relations between Israel and Arab countries.
