Reuters – Two years ago, investors scrambled to snap up shares in elite hedge fund firms, eager for a piece of the lucrative action. What they got instead were big losses.
Starting in early 2007, when hedge fund and private equity firms were minting cash, four private investment firms cracked open the door to let in small investors. Fortress Investment Group LLC, Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, Blackstone Group LP and GLG Partners Inc led a new class of firms that let ordinary investors ride the wave of hedge fund riches.