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Margin Calls

All articles tagged with #margin calls

AI Hedge Fund Collapses Under Margin Calls
private-equity-and-hedge-funds28 minutes ago

AI Hedge Fund Collapses Under Margin Calls

Leopold Aschenbrenner’s AI-focused hedge fund Situational Awareness collapsed after margin calls forced a distressed sale of its public holdings to Ken Griffin’s Citadel, wiping out roughly $35 billion from a peak near $45 billion. Prime brokers Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase helped meet margin requirements as the fund’s leveraged positions were dumped, with as much as 400% leverage cited. The portfolio included AI infrastructure bets and private stakes like Anthropic, Nebius Group, Sandisk, Micron, and CoreWeave; the fund had posted outsized gains since its 2024 inception but investors warned of trouble, and the crash occurred as founder Leopold Aschenbrenner, 25, was preparing to marry Avital Balwit.

AI Bet Gone Wrong: Hedge Fund Implosion Quietly Rocks Markets
markets1 hour ago

AI Bet Gone Wrong: Hedge Fund Implosion Quietly Rocks Markets

An AI-focused hedge fund called Situational Awareness, run by Leopold Aschenbrenner, collapsed after a rapid momentum reversal wiped out both its long bets on AI beneficiaries and its shorts on software, triggering margin calls and forced sales that led to a de-leveraging spiral and Citadel stepping in to buy its publicly traded assets. The episode shows how highly levered, momentum-driven bets can implode even when broad market indices appear calm, despite some optimism about AI’s staying power and skeptical voices like Michael Burry.

Ex-OpenAI Scientist's Hedge Fund Unwinds AI Bets Amid Steep Losses
business1 day ago

Ex-OpenAI Scientist's Hedge Fund Unwinds AI Bets Amid Steep Losses

Situational Awareness, the hedge fund led by Leopold Aschenbrenner, is unwinding many trades and could be forced to liquidate assets after steep losses in AI infrastructure stocks and a poor bet against software names like Adobe. Prime brokers are helping the fund meet margin requirements and reduce positions, while the firm seeks liquidity by marketing stakes in private companies, including Anthropic. Its largest Q1 holdings—Nebius Group, SanDisk, Micron, and CoreWeave—have each fallen more than 35% this month, underscoring the fragility of the AI investing thesis that propelled the fund.

Margin Calls and Delisted Stocks: Turmoil for Traders in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature.
finance3 years ago

Margin Calls and Delisted Stocks: Turmoil for Traders in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature.

Thousands of retail option traders who made bets against shares of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Financial Group were left in limbo for weeks after trading in both companies was halted. Traders turned to social media platforms for answers and support, and a social media pressure campaign ultimately helped to push some brokers to help make customers whole. Even afterwards, some traders were left with huge margin-call balances that left them potentially exposed to tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars of risk.