Assets as Bizarre as Clint Eastwood Speech

Sept. 5, 2012 - PRLog -- (September 3, 2012, New York) In the days since actor Clint Eastwood delivered his speech on the Republican National Convention’s final night, a heated debate about whether it was historically bad or sneaky good has consumed the political world. However, it people thought that was bizarre, Hedge Funds Leaders Forum 2012, "Getting Ready to Manage $5 Trillion by 2016" (http://www.HedgeFundsLeadersForum.com), will take a look at some of the bizarre assets held at some moment.

According to Investopedia, one of them was the Neverland Ranch. Well-known as the home of the late Michael Jackson, the outstanding mortgage on Neverland Ranch was bought in 2008 by Fortress Investment Group, in an arrangement made by the King of Pop to avoid going into foreclosure. The mortgage of roughly $24 million was later bought by Colony Capital LLC, a private equity firm, which, along with Jackson's estate, co-owned Neverland Ranch through a company called Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC. Unfortunately, there are no confirmed plans for the ranch at this time, although rumors have been stirring that the 2,500 acre estate in California may be turned into a state amusement park in the future.

Back in 2005, a hedge fund known as Pirate Capital owned around a 13% stake in a company called Cornell Companies, which runs prisons. Hedge funds have been commonly associated with prisons over the years, as many fund managers have been sentenced to serve time for a plethora of different crimes, but owning them is a different story. Pirate Capital invested around $20 million and at the time became the largest shareholder of Cornell Companies; however, it appears the hedge fund no longer owns the position, since Cornell Companies was bought by rival GEO Group in 2010. In terms of diversifying assets to capture gains, this is a great example of the uncommon investments hedge funds will delve into.

For more on these bizarre holdings, Hedge Funds Leaders Forum 2012, "Getting Ready to Manage $5 Trillion by 2016" will provide attendees in New York, Chicago and London with the most up-to-date review of where this ever-changing industry stands and how regulatory and alpha expectation s will impact it. Recognized managers, investors, experts, regulators, and strategists will return to Hedge Funds Leaders Forum 2012 to provide the information practitioners are looking for in an open and unbiased environment, highly conducive to the most efficient and effective networking.

Hedge Funds Leaders Forum 2012 is produced by Golden Networking (http://www.goldennetworking.net), the premier networking community for business executives, entrepreneurs and investors. Panelists, speakers and sponsors are invited to contact Golden Networking by sending an email to info@goldennetworking.net.