The Meb Faber Show - Better Investing Inside Goldman Sachs’ Alternatives Playbook (w/ Kristin Olson) | #621
Mar 6, 2026
Kristin Olson, Global Head of Alternatives for Wealth at Goldman Sachs and longtime private markets leader. She discusses the surge in individual interest in alternatives, the rise of secondaries and private credit risks, why manager selection and liquidity matter, growing millennial appetite, and how AI could transform sourcing and underwriting.
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What Goldman Means By Alternatives
- Alternatives include anything outside public equities and fixed income, notably private equity, real assets, private credit, and hedge funds.
- These subasset classes further split into venture, growth, buyout, infrastructure, and more, each with distinct liquidity and risk profiles.
Why Individuals Are Flocking To Private Markets
- Individual investor access to alternatives has expanded as institutions reached target allocations, forcing managers to seek new capital sources.
- Private company growth and longer pre-IPO timelines push innovation into private markets, increasing retail demand for private exposure.
Diversify Private Equity Across Three Axes
- Build breadth across strategy, manager, and vintage year when allocating to private equity to reduce concentration risk.
- Maintain a diversified core (venture, growth, buyout) and add thematic tilts like AI-driven venture when timely.