Skip to content

Harvard and Yale concentrated with venture capitalists…

“Harvard and Yale concentrated with venture capitalists that got the best calls and brainpower. Very few firms made most of the money, and they made it in just a few periods. Everyone else returned between mediocre and lousy. When returns happened, envy rippled through institutional money…” quote by Charlie Munger
Download Open image
“Harvard and Yale concentrated with venture capitalists that got the best calls and brainpower. Very few firms made most of the money, and they made it in just a few periods. Everyone else returned between mediocre and lousy. When returns happened, envy rippled through institutional money management. The amount invested in venture capital went up 10 times post-1999. That later money was lost very quickly. It will happen again. I don't know anyone who successfully resists this stuff. It becomes a new orthodoxy.”

Charlie Munger

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Venture capital yields extreme returns for few, creating cycles of hype and loss, which repeat over time.

In simple terms: VC invests heavily, rewarding few and causing cycles of boom and bust.

Key Takeaway

Diversify and stay cautious in VC investments.

Themes

finance investment market cycles

Mood

skeptical analytical

Type

observational advisory

When to use this quote

  • startup funding
  • portfolio management

Key Concepts

risk capital allocation institutional behavior

Questions to Reflect On

  • Why do investors chase trends?
  • How to protect against market cycles?
A Different Perspective

VC hype can obscure fundamentals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Charlie Munger

Explore all 544 Charlie Munger quotes

More Amount quotes

Browse all 4,202 Amount quotes