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Whale Rock Capital Management Review

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This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

Whale Rock Capital Management LLC is an investment management firm with more than $15 billion in assets under management (AUM). It currently manages a total of eight pooled investment vehicles, six of which are hedge funds. The firm currently employs 14 advisors.

It's important to understand that hedge funds are often complex, loosely regulated investments and therefore only accessible to accredited investors. If you're looking for trusted and comprehensive support in managing your own finances, consider speaking to a professional financial advisor.

Whale Rock Capital Management Background

Whale Rock Capital Management LLC is a limited liability company formed in March 2006. Its primary purpose is to sponsor and manage pooled investment vehicles. The founder, principal owner and managing member of Whale Rock is Alexander Sacerdote, who is also its current CEO.

The firm serves as investment manager to its funds according to separate investment management agreements between each fund and Whale Rock. The firm provides investment advice solely to these funds and does not tailor portfolio management services to the individual needs of investors in the funds. Investors in the funds include high-net-worth individuals, trusts, foundations, endowments, charitable organizations, pension plans, corporations, funds of funds and other domestic and international institutional investors. Minimum account investments vary by fund. For example, the Flagship Funds and the Hybrid Funds require a minimum investment of $1 million. The Long Opportunities Funds investment minimum is $5 million. Each investor in the funds must be an "accredited investor" as defined by the Securities Act of 1933 and they must also be a "qualified purchaser" as defined by the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Whale Rock Capital Management Investment Philosophy

The investment objective of the Whale Rock funds is to provide consistently excellent and risk-adjusted returns. Whale Rock uses a fundamental, research driven approach and a disciplined investment process. The firm believes that its experience and insight are an integral part of the advantage it provides to these funds.

Whale Rock's overall strategy seeks to identify technological, social and economic trends that are advantageous to the investment process. The firm analyzes relevant information to understand the long-term valuation implications before the market even does. As a result, each fund's investment strategy is typically expected to be longer-term in nature.

Of course, all current and potential clients should be aware that no investment strategy can guarantee against risk of loss. 

Largest Hedge Funds Managed by Whale Rock Capital Management

Whale Rock Flagship Master Fund, LP

  • AUM: $9,795,283,555
  • Minimum: $1 million
  • Beneficial Owners: 540

Whale Rock Long Opportunities Master Fund, LP

  • AUM: $252,400,632
  • Minimum: $5 million
  • Beneficial Owners: 33

Whale Rock Long Opportunities Fund II LP

  • AUM: $200,000,000
  • Minimum: $5 million
  • Beneficial Owners: 1

Whale Rock Flagship (AI) Fund LP

  • AUM: $97,621,493
  • Minimum: $1 million
  • Beneficial Owners: 34

Fees at Whale Rock Capital Management

Fees at Whale Rock include fees based on AUM, or assets under management, plus performance-based fees. These may be waived or reduced with respect to particular investors. A full description of all fees, expenses and compensation will be included in detail in each set of offering materials or agreements.

The management fee at Whale Rock is fixed and ranges from 1% to 1.75% per year. The performance allocation usually ranges from 15% to 20% of a fund's realized or unrealized net profit or capital appreciation (i.e. increase in value).

Beyond this, other additional fees and expenses may apply - including but not limited to registration fees, maintenance fees, certain taxes and regulatory expenses - so it is imperative that potential and existing clients read the offering documents carefully and reach out about specific fees charged to their fund.

What to Watch Out For

Again, it's important to understand that hedge funds are often complex, loosely regulated investments and therefore accessible only to accredited investors. Such investors differ from retail investors or individual investors, who might be taking a more DIY approach or enlisting the services of a financial advisor.

Within the past 10 years, Whale Rock Capital Management has not undergone any disciplinary or legal action deemed material to a client’s evaluation of its business integrity. That said, as an SEC-registered investment manager, the firm is legally obligated to uphold its fiduciary duty and work in clients’ best interests at all times. You can view its latest Form ADV on the official website of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).

Becoming a Client of Whale Rock Capital Management

If you are an accredited investor and wish to become a client of Whale Rock Capital Management, you can visit the firm's website or call (617) 502-9900.

Investing Tips

  • Whether you are an accredited or sophisticated investor or not, it never hurts to consult a professional to make sure you're doing everything you can to manage your finances so that they can work for you. Finding a financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with financial advisors in just five minutes. If you're ready to connect with local advisors, get started now
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How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research