Alternative Market Briefing

Taussig Capital launches Multi-Strat Re reinsurance platform

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

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Joe Taussig Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York:

Zurich–based Taussig Capital is launching a new platform that will give hedge fund managers the opportunity to get into reinsurance. Recent entrants into this area include Daniel Einhorn’s Greenlight Re, and Jonathan Bloomer’s Scottish Re. Before them, Warren Buffet, Louis Bacon, and George Soros have each gone into the reinsurance business. According to Joe Taussig, CEO, Taussig Capital, for hedge fund managers who get into reinsurance, they can expect that their reinsurance company will outperform their funds, significantly increase AuM from sources they could not otherwise access, and secure permanent capital.

Reinsurance differs from insurance in that, rather than taking on the processes and costs of individual transactions, the reinsurance company focuses on the balance sheet, handling the transfer of blocks of risk. "You can’t have a small reinsurer," Taussig explains in an interview with Opalesque. However, for hedge fund managers, who are already familiar with how to handle risk, doing that and getting permanent capital as a return can make for a significant opportunity.

The pioneer managers in this area faced significant start-up hurdles in terms of raising the capital, understanding the business, significant compensation commitments and startup costs with no assurance of success, and nurturing the deal from start to finish. According to Taussig, "we have spent many more days on many more projects t......................

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