HuffPo – Last week, on another one of those chilled evenings that have become so familiar this winter in New York, I attended one of Manhattan’s most cherished hedge fund industry events: the 16th annual Hedge Funds Care benefit. On the night of March 6, nearly 1,000 hedge fund executives sat amid the towering marble columns, soaring ceilings and twinkling chandeliers of Cipriani’s 42nd Street to celebrate the industry’s dedicated philanthropic efforts to preventing and treating child abuse. An industry whose reputation could benefit from some good press-especially in light of recent happenings.
I smiled when I walked into the room and thought, “Hedge Funds Care–Yes, they really do.” While I mingled with the guests, I thought more people need to see this side of the hedge fund industry. I was struck by the contrast between the culture of giving that the hedge fund industry embraces, and the culture of greed that many Americans project onto the industry–and that is so often depicted in film and the media. When I attended this event last year for the first time, I felt a similar dissonance. However, even my taxi driver who whisked me to the event scoffed at the very name of the organization: “Hedge Funds Care.” The taxi driver’s union could benefit from some positive press themselves!
