Smart Money – 36One CEO Cy Jacobs unpacks their unique approach to investing

In this Smart Money with Alishia Seckam interview, 36One CEO and co-founder Cy Jacobs unpacks the asset manager’s incredible success over the past 20 years.

Jacobs founded 36One Asset Management alongside Steven Liptz in 2004 and has been its CEO from the beginning.

He has led the company into becoming one of South Africa’s largest investment management firms while maintaining a lean, efficient, and customisable organisational structure.

Jacobs continues to serve as the company’s CEO today and is critical to 36One’s continued success, thanks to his deep understanding of what makes 36One successful.

This includes the fundamental philosophy that the market does not efficiently price securities at all times.

Thanks to this, Jacobs believes an asset manager can outperform expectations consistently over time using a bottom-up fundamental analysis approach.

The interview

Jacobs begins the interview by discussing what inspired him to co-found 36One and what sets it apart from other asset managers.

This includes the unique approach 36One takes to investing, which has worked extraordinarily well.

Jacobs then responds to critics who maintain that hedge funds are speculative, before identifying key highlights from his ongoing tenure at 36One.

This includes 36One being appointed to manage the PPS Managed Fund. He explains how this happened and why PPS chose 36One over their competitors.

Jacobs concludes the interview by outlining the biggest trends 36One is monitoring in South Africa.

Watch the interview with Cy Jacobs below.