From Soros to Old Farm: How to Identify the Market’s Top Thematic Risk-Takers | Kieran Cavanna | Old Farm Partners

This episode is brought to you by CAIA.nxt. Learn more about their alternatives education courses for investment advisors and get 10% off with code MMTEN: https://caia.org/content/welcome-monetary-matters-and-other-peoples-money-listeners Kieran Cavanna, the founder and CIO of Old Farm Partners and former head of external managers at Soros Fund Management joins Other People’s Money to break down his high-conviction approach to thematic investing, explaining why "making the main thing the main thing" is the secret to capturing outsized returns in the public markets. From his time working under legendary macro investor Scott Bessent to his current focus at Old Farm Partners, Kieran shares how he identifies "asymmetric" opportunities where the upside is massive and the downside is protected. If you've ever wondered how the world’s most sophisticated allocators source managers and structure co-investments to beat the market, this is an interview you can't miss. Listen to the Thematic Investors Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTSvmgAOiFVttgxmUaO4hSgMxutOwyS9T Follow Max on X: https://x.com/maxwiethe Follow Other People’s Money on: Apple Podcast https://bit.ly/4e7QJ1M Spotify https://bit.ly/3Yhaazi YouTube https://bit.ly/3C63VXR X https://x.com/opmpod Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:17 Soros External Managers 03:36 What Makes Great Managers 07:01 Spotting Skill Vs Luck 08:47 Risk Management 12:37 Geography and Benchmarks 15:21 Style Drift and Communication 18:57 Fees and Multi Strat Debate 22:30 Spinouts and Independence 26:47 Co-Investing in Public Markets 30:06 Allocator Base and Drawdown Focus 31:12 Family Office Allocators 32:13 Private Credit Shift 36:57 Big Launches Small Wins 38:40 AI CapEx Main Event 41:26 Defense Tech Next Theme 42:44 Asymmetry Not Binary 44:51 Cross Sector Blind Spots 49:51 Crowded Trades Unwind 52:58 Macro Themes Bottom Up 57:37 Risks and Hedging 59:42 Thematic Investors Podcast