I don't think what a16z is doing, a crypto hedge fund, is similar to what Sequoia is doing here with its Sequoia Fund, a mutual fund of post-IPO portfolio companies.
Indeed, I don't see this as a hedge fund, a limited partnership of investors that uses high risk methods, such as investing with borrowed money, in hopes of realizing large capital gains. Generally hedge funds are private investments. Sequoia Fund is an open-ended liquid portfolio made up of public positions in a selection of our enduring companies. They even calls themselves a mutual fund.
Sequoia Fund is a mutual fund that has been advised by Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. since its inception on July 15, 1970.
Hedge funds aren't really private investments, you're probably thinking of Private Equity firms. Hedge funds more often than not invest in the public markets and hold large positions, the difference between a mutual fund and a hedge fund is more regulatory and legal than investment process.
AFAIK hedge funds are basically anything you want them to be. You could be hedging public equities, shorting them all, going long on them all, or investing in crypto. I could be wrong but its basically a catch-all term now.
Yup, you're right. Nowadays a "hedge" fund is simply some entity that manages money and dabbles in the dark arts to generate outlandish returns (or collapses in a spectacular fashion). I was just refuting the initial assertion that hedge funds make private investments, since most of the traditional "hedge funds" don't touch private markets, and work in public markets.
The parent is responding to the grandparent comment
> Generally hedge funds are private investments.
I take your point that HFs come in many flavors. And, "private investments" is ambiguous.
Though, in "general", the parent is right to say the claim (above) is not accurate. I think of HFs as "generally" playing with securitized, public assets, regardless of investment mandate.
Same Sequoia. The article doesn't really make it clear (well, the green color scheme does) but Sequoia Fund is a part of Sequoia. The author is a VC for Sequoia
Indeed, I don't see this as a hedge fund, a limited partnership of investors that uses high risk methods, such as investing with borrowed money, in hopes of realizing large capital gains. Generally hedge funds are private investments. Sequoia Fund is an open-ended liquid portfolio made up of public positions in a selection of our enduring companies. They even calls themselves a mutual fund.
Mutual, not hedge.