Who is Robert Mercer?
He is co-CEO of the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies. The fund was founded by James Simons. He was born in July 1946. He is married to Diana Lynne Dean and they have three daughters: Jennifer, Rebekah, and Heather Sue.
James Simons is the owner of the yacht Archimedes. Mercer is the owner of the yacht Sea Owl.
Renaissance Technologies
Renaissance Technologies is one of the largest quant funds. It uses mathematical algorithms and computers to identify trades. Renaissance employs dozens of math and physics doctorate-holders with knowledge of artificial intelligence.
In 2015 the fund had US$ 65 billion in assets and 290 employees.
Earnings per Year
According to Forbes, Mercer earned US$ 125 million in 2016. He earned US$ 150 million in 2015 and US$ 115 million in 2013. And he earned US$ 90 million in 2012 and US$ 125 million in 2011.
He is one of the highest-earning hedge fund managers. Mercer’s career started at IBM. He was working on a speech recognition program. In 1993 he joined Renaissance Technologies. When James Simons retired, Mercer took over as CEO.
Political Donations
Mercer was “the biggest single donor” in the 2016 U.S. presidential race. He donated US$ 14 million to the 2016 presidential campaign of Ted Cruz. And he supported Trump super PAC committees.
In total Mercer has donated more than US$ 35 million to political campaigns. Including the Trump campaign.
Mercer is also a major source of funds for Steve Bannon’s Breitbart News. Which he gave more than US$ 10 million according to the Wall Street Journal.
Robert Mercer Net Worth
He has a net worth of more than US$ 500 million. In this article on Bloomberg his net worth is estimated to be near US$ 1 billion.
Philanthropy
He is an active philanthropist. He donated US$ 13.5 million in 2013 through his Mercer Family Foundation. The foundation is run by his daughter Rebekah Mercer. The foundation has US$ 37 million in assets.
The foundation has been giving donations to the National Youth Science Fund. And to the World Science Festival, the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM). And also to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, and the Home Depot Foundation.
Machine Gun Collection
Mercer has a large and rare collection of machine guns and historical firearms. He owns a weapon that Arnold Schwarzenegger used in The Terminator.