Michael Hintze, Baron Hintze

Michael Hintze, Baron Hintze
Born	(1953-07-27) July 27, 1953 Harbin, China
Occupation(s)	Businessman, philanthropist
Years active	1970s–present
Known for	Founder of CQS, philanthropy in arts and education

Michael Hintze, Baron Hintze, born on 27 July 1953, is a businessman and philanthropist holding dual Australian and British citizenship, currently residing in the United Kingdom.

Early life

Hintze was born in Harbin, China, to parents who escaped as refugees following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and subsequently left China after the Communist regime took power. He grew up in Sydney, Australia, where he attended St Leo's College in Wahroonga. He completed a Bachelor of Science in physics in 1975 and a Bachelor of Engineering in 1977 at the University of Sydney, living at St John's College and providing tutoring at Sancta Sophia College. Additionally, he earned a Master of Science in acoustics from the University of New South Wales and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has also been awarded honorary doctorates by both UNSW and the University of Sydney.

Following his academic pursuits, Hintze served three years in the Australian Army, achieving the rank of captain. Subsequently, he worked as an electrical design engineer with Civil and Civic Pty Ltd in Australia.

Career

Hintze launched his career in financial services in New York as a fixed income trader with Salomon Brothers and Credit Suisse First Boston. After moving to London, he joined Goldman Sachs and eventually became co-head of the UK Shares Product division before departing in 1995.

CQS

In 1999, he established the asset management company CQS, which oversees roughly $11 billion in assets and is recognized as a prominent entity within credit markets. Financial News placed him fifth on their FN100 Most Influential list under the hedge fund category.

Under Hintze's management, the CQS Directional Opportunities Fund was ranked third among Bloomberg’s top 100 large hedge funds in 2012. In 2013, CQS received several accolades at the Financial News Awards for Excellence, including "Best Hedge Fund Manager Overall" and "Best Hedge Fund Manager in Credit." Notably, CQS reportedly positioned itself against JPMorgan’s infamous "London Whale" trade in 2012, which led to a $2 billion loss for JPMorgan.

By 2018, CQS’s principal fund had achieved a 30% gain. Hintze has characterized financial crises as opportunities for trading. In December 2019, Barron's highlighted that CQS’s $19 billion fund was concentrating on distressed assets, particularly within mall retail and energy sectors—areas considered unconventional investment choices.

In April 2020, Bloomberg reported that Hintze’s main fund experienced an estimated quarterly loss exceeding 30%.

Professional appointments

Hintze has held various board memberships and government advisory roles. He was appointed to the Australian Treasury’s four-member International Advisory Panel for the Financial Systems Inquiry (FSI), which focused on challenges such as technological advancements, Australia's position in global markets, and international regulatory frameworks.

Pope Francis appointed him to the board of the Vatican Bank (Institute for the Works of Religion). ValueWalk described this appointment positively, emphasizing Hintze’s reputation as a pragmatic leader with extensive global finance experience.

Within the UK, he contributed to the Fair and Effective Markets Review—a collaborative effort by HM Treasury, the Bank of England, and the Financial Conduct Authority aimed at enhancing standards of conduct within financial markets. Additionally, he serves on the Finance & Audit Committee for the Duchy of Cornwall.

Farming

In 2007, Hintze launched MH Premium Farms (MHPF), an agricultural enterprise with a primary focus on operations within Australia. By 2017, MHPF had acquired more than twenty estates throughout eastern Australia, encompassing a combined area exceeding . The company’s holdings span fat lamb production, wool, cattle rearing, extensive cereal and oilseed cultivation, as well as irrigated cotton and sugar farming.

MHPF places a strong emphasis on sustainability and environmental stewardship as fundamental components of its farming approach.

Philanthropy

Together with his wife Dorothy, Hintze created the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation. Their cultural philanthropy includes financing the restoration of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Vatican's Pauline Chapel and making a landmark £5 million contribution in 2014 to London’s Natural History Museum—the largest single donation in its 133-year existence. This gift underpins research addressing biodiversity threats, ecosystem preservation, pollution effects, and disease management. In recognition, the museum’s Central Hall was renamed Hintze Hall.

Within the arts sector, their generosity facilitated the refurbishment of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Sculpture Galleries, now known as the Dorothy and Michael Hintze Galleries, and supported exhibitions such as Raphael’s Sistine Chapel tapestries. A £2 million endowment to the National Gallery funded enhancements including energy-saving technologies aimed at lowering operational expenses and reducing carbon emissions. Further patronage has been extended to institutions like the British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and National Theatre—where the foundation holds Life Benefactor Donor status. Through both CQS and their foundation, Hintze contributed to establishing a 'theatre in the round' at London’s Old Vic and provided a £2 million emergency fund to prevent Wandsworth Museum from closing.

In Australia, Hintze played a key role in supporting the Australian Museum’s extensive renovation initiative, Project Discover, which expanded exhibition areas and educational facilities. He has expressed a personal affinity for this institution stemming from his childhood years in Sydney.

In healthcare philanthropy, Hintze co-led Trinity Hospice’s campaign to build a new inpatient unit and donated $1 million to the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre dedicated to advancing medical research application. He is also a benefactor of Evelina Children’s Hospital.

His support for military personnel includes contributions to The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity aimed at assisting service members and their families, as well as funding for Black Stork Charity’s state-of-the-art rehabilitation center for wounded veterans.

In education, Hintze established the Chair of International Security at the University of Sydney and annually sponsors the Hintze Lecture at Oxford’s Centre for Astrophysical Surveys. He financed a residential wing at St. John’s College (University of Sydney), named the Hintze Building in his honor, and donated $1 million to UNSW to create a lecture theatre commemorating his father. Globally, he has gifted $10 million to Harvard University and endowed a professorship at Princeton University under his wife’s maiden name.

According to The Guardian, Hintze has also contributed financially to the Global Warming Policy Foundation, an organization known for challenging climate change science and questioning related policy expenses.

Philanthropic roles and acknowledgments

Hintze holds trustee positions at the Institute of Economic Affairs and the University of Sydney Trust. He is also a Member of the Harvard Business School Board of Dean's Advisors and serves as Senior Vice Patron of the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity. Previously, he chaired the Prince's Foundation for Building Community.

Between 2017 and 2021, Hintze acted as a trustee for the National Portrait Gallery and earlier served on the board of the National Gallery, where he played a role in acquiring Titian's Diana and Actaeon. His appointment to the National Gallery's Board came from Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2008, with a subsequent reappointment by Prime Minister David Cameron.

In 2009, Hintze and his wife Dorothy were honored with the Prince of Wales Medal for Arts Philanthropy in recognition of their contributions to the arts. Additionally, Hintze was invited to join the Chancellor's Court of Benefactors for his support of the University of Oxford.

His philanthropic influence in the UK earned him a place on the 2017 Debrett's 500 List. The Evening Standard's "Progress 1000" also featured him among "London's most influential people," acknowledging both his charitable efforts and business successes.

Donations to the Conservative Party

In 2006, during the Cash for Peerages controversy involving the Labour Party, Hintze voluntarily revealed that he was one of the previously undisclosed patrons providing financial support to the Conservative Party. By 2011, his cumulative loans and donations to the party amounted to approximately £4 million. Within the five months leading up to September 2011, he contributed £31,000, which granted him membership in the Conservative Treasurers' Group, facilitating access to senior party figures through exclusive events.

In May 2008, David Cameron publicly acknowledged a donation from Hintze that funded social receptions for Conservative MPs and their partners.

In October 2011, it was disclosed that Adam Werritty, an associate close to then Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox, was provided with complimentary office space at CQS’s London headquarters as part of Hintze’s £29,000 contribution to Fox’s charity The Atlantic Bridge. Furthermore, Hintze arranged a private jet for Fox and Werritty’s May 2011 journey from the United States back to London. These revelations contributed to Liam Fox’s resignation and led to the dismissal of Oliver Hylton, Hintze’s charity adviser.

During the 2019 United Kingdom general election, Hintze donated £341,225 to the Conservative Party.

Awards and honours

In 2005, Hintze was honored as a Knight Commander of the Papal Order of St. Gregory (KCSG) by Pope Benedict XVI, later receiving elevation to Knight Grand Cross (GCSG) within the same Order.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in January 2013 in recognition of his significant philanthropic work across arts, health, and education sectors.

That same year, in the UK's 2013 Birthday Honours, he was knighted for his contributions to the arts. The investiture took place at Buckingham Palace on 23 October 2013 with Charles, Prince of Wales presenting the accolade.

On 14 October 2022, Hintze was announced as a life peer under the 2022 Special Honours. He was formally created Baron Hintze, of Dunster in the County of Somerset, on 3 November 2022.

Personal details

In July 1984, Hintze married Dorothy Krauklis, an American whom he met at Harvard; together they have four children. He practices Roman Catholicism.

Wealth

According to the Sunday Times 2019 Rich List, Hintze’s net worth reached approximately Template:GBP1.5 billion, reflecting an increase of Template:GBP120 million from 2018. The Forbes billionaire ranking in 2016 placed him at number 1,011 worldwide with an estimated net worth near Template:USD1.8 billion. By 2025, his wealth was assessed by the Australian Financial Review 2025 Rich List at around 2.12 billion.

Year	Financial Review Rich List		Forbes Australia's 50 Richest		Sunday Times Rich List
Rank	Net worth (Template:AUD)	Rank	Net worth (Template:USD)	Rank	Net worth (Template:GBP)
2011	$0.614 billion Increase	15 Template:Loss	$1.40 billion Template:Gain
2012	$0.81 billion Template:Gain	16 Template:Loss	$1.40 billion Steady
2013	$0.86 billion Increase	16 Steady	$1.55 billion Increase
2014	$1.37 billion Increase	15 Increase	$1.70 billion Increase
2015	$1.75 billion Increase	15 Steady	$1.90 billion Increase
2016	$1.32 billion Decrease	13 Increase	$1.80 billion Decrease
2017	$1.98 billion Increase	17 Decrease	$2.30 billion Increase
2018	$2.56 billion Increase
2019	$2.72 billion Increase	13 Template:Gain	$2.55 billion Template:Gain		£1.50 billion Template:Up
2020	$2.60 billion Decrease
2021	$2.21 billion Decrease
2022	$2.20 billion Decrease
2023	$2.10 billion Decrease
2024	$2.20 billion Template:Up
2025	$2.12 billion Decrease

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