Chris Rokos
Christopher Charles Rokos | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 21, 1970 United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Hedge fund manager |
| Known for | Founder of Rokos Capital Management, founding partner at Brevan Howard Asset Management |
Christopher Charles Rokos (born 21 September 1970) is a British billionaire hedge fund manager, founder of the macro-focused hedge fund Rokos Capital Management, and previously a founding partner at Brevan Howard Asset Management.
The Sunday Times Rich List valued his wealth at £800 million in 2020, increasing to £1.25 billion in 2021.
Early life
Identified early for his aptitude in mathematics and science while attending a UK state primary school, Rokos earned a scholarship to Eton College. He pursued mathematics at Pembroke College, Oxford University, graduating with first-class honours in 1992. He also holds an MA degree from Oxford and is a Foundation Fellow of Pembroke College.
Career
Following university, Rokos started his career at UBS in London before joining Goldman Sachs for three years, where he worked in derivative structuring, swap market making, and proprietary trading. In January 1998, Alan Howard recruited him to join Credit Suisse as a proprietary trader.
In early 2002, Rokos left Credit Suisse alongside Howard and three other directors—Jean Philippe Blochet, James Vernon, and Trifon Natsis—to establish Brevan Howard, which rapidly became one of Europe's premier hedge funds.
Rokos earned recognition as the firm's leading trader and one of the foremost government bond traders worldwide. His significant market positions often influenced pricing, with Wall Street trading desks closely tracking his perspectives. At Brevan Howard, he generated $4 billion in profits by trading interest rate securities for the flagship Master Fund. This included $1.11 billion in 2007 (accounting for 27% of the fund's profits), $549 million in 2008, and $933 million in 2009. His most successful year was 2011, when he contributed $1.27 billion to the fund’s earnings. Court documents from a subsequent legal case disclosed that Rokos personally earned approximately $900 million over a decade at Brevan Howard, surpassing earlier estimates.
Rokos Capital Management
In 2012, Rokos departed from Brevan Howard to create a family office based in London's Mayfair, managing his personal wealth. In 2014, aiming to return to active trading, he contested Brevan Howard’s five-year noncompete agreement in the Royal Court of Jersey, which had prevented him from overseeing external capital until 2018.
The matter was resolved through an out-of-court settlement in January 2015, allowing Rokos to found his own firm—a launch described by The Wall Street Journal as among the "most eagerly awaited hedge-fund debuts in recent years." Initial capital reportedly came primarily from Rokos himself, with investment strategies focused on foreign exchange, fixed income, and equity index products across developed and liquid emerging markets.
Rokos Capital Management commenced trading in Autumn 2015 and recorded roughly 20% gains during its first full year (2016). The fund profited from strategic positions related to Donald Trump's election victory. Although it misjudged the result of the 2016 UK EU membership referendum, the firm still achieved gains exceeding 2.5% immediately following the vote.
After strong initial results, Rokos Capital encountered difficulties amid challenging conditions for macro hedge funds; profits dropped by 85% to £22.9 million between 2017 and 2018. Nevertheless, Rokos continued expanding the company to position it for future market improvements.
Currently, Rokos Capital ranks among London's largest and highest-performing hedge funds, recognized for its strategic investments and ongoing growth in personnel and office capacity.
Political contributions
Prior to the 2015 general election in the United Kingdom, Rokos was among a group of hedge fund managers who collectively contributed £1.9 million to the British Conservative Party. Since that period, his financial support to the Party has been infrequent and sporadic.
Philanthropic activities
Rokos actively donates to organisations dedicated to advancing fundamental human rights and fostering equal opportunities, with a particular emphasis on educational causes. His charitable giving includes support for Amnesty International and Water Aid, as well as backing Pro Bono Economics, an organisation that assists charities in enhancing their effectiveness and outcomes.
He sponsors the Chris Rokos Fellowship in Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, a five-year award currently held by Dr Andrea Sottoriva, whose work applies evolutionary theory to understand cancer progression.
Rokos also funds the New Foundation Scholarships at Eton College, which provide up to four scholarships annually for students from state schools who come from less privileged backgrounds—mirroring his own educational experience.
At Pembroke College, Oxford University, he was the principal benefactor of a £17 million fundraising campaign that led to the creation of the Rokos Quad. His support extends to several educational programs such as the Rokos Award Research Scholarships for STEM undergraduates and the Oxford-Rokos Graduate Scholarship, which fully covers tuition and living expenses for exceptional students engaged in pioneering research.
Furthermore, Rokos finances the Rokos Career Development Fellowship in Economics or Economic History at Pembroke College. This fellowship prioritises research areas aligned with Dr Brian A’Hearn’s interests, including political economy, labour markets, and European living standards.
An avid collector with a passion for Old Masters, Rokos is reputed to have acquired Domenichino's "St John the Evangelist" from the 1620s and has loaned it to the National Gallery. In 2012, he played a significant role as a major donor in securing Titian’s Diana and Actaeon for public ownership.
In 2023, Rokos made a contribution to the Royal United Services Institute.
Private life
Characterised by the Daily Telegraph as intensely private, Rokos seldom appears publicly in his hometown of Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire. He frequently travels via his personal helicopter. Details about his personal affairs remain largely undisclosed. His real estate holdings include the Tottenham Estate near Marlborough, the Little Bedwyn Estate, and the Stype estate close to Hungerford. He also owns a beachfront property in Manalapan, Florida, which was listed for sale at $150 million as of February 2025.