Capital Allocators – Inside the Institutional Investment Industry [REPLAY] - Ashby Monk – Asset Giant Futurist (Capital Allocators, EP.29)
Jan 12, 2026
Ashby Monk, an Executive and Research Director at Stanford's Global Projects Center, dives into innovative solutions for pension and sovereign fund challenges. He explores the contrasting pension models of Canada, Australia, and the U.S., emphasizing the importance of transparency in fees and internal management. Ashby discusses his groundbreaking venture, Long Game, which gamifies saving through prize-linked incentives. He also predicts an increasing reliance on private equity and critiques hedge funds for their talent allocation, advocating for more sustainable financial practices.
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UC Anchors Venture Access With Campus Assets
- University of California leveraged its research labs and IP to anchor venture partnerships and secure privileged deal flow.
- Their approach allowed UC to access top venture opportunities on aligned terms without paying typical GP fees.
Finance Has Become Too Large A Tax
- The financial services industry now captures an outsized share of corporate profits and raises the unit cost of intermediation.
- This bloated finance sector can act like a tax on the real economy and slow broader productivity.
Use Fee Transparency To Catalyze Change
- Present external manager fees alongside internal budgets to boards to force a make-or-buy decision.
- Use fee transparency to justify investing in internal talent and capabilities.