Episode Details
Back to Episodes
20VC: From $8BN to $19BN: Inside WashU's Endowment Fund | SpaceX Made Up 20% of Our AUM | Why Europe and China Has So Much Opportunity | The Reckoning That is Coming for AI Companies with Scott Wilson
Description
Scott Wilson is the CIO of WashU, one of the best-performing endowment funds in the world. Under his leadership, Scott has grown the endowment from $8BN to $19BN today. At one point, SpaceX was over 20% of the entire value of the endowment.
AGENDA:
00:00 – How WashU Built One of the Best-Performing Endowment Portfolios in the World
04:00 – Scott Wilson's Investment Playbook: Concentration, Conviction and Compounding
05:20 – Why Scott Sold Over 75% of WashU's Portfolio When He Joined
07:15 – How Should You Allocate a $20 Billion Endowment Between Publics and Privates?
10:00 – How WashU Finds Direct Investments That Other LPs Miss
12:15 – How WashU Made Billions From SpaceX and Kept Holding
13:25 – Why Concentration Limits Are Killing Venture Returns
16:15 – Scott's Biggest Investing Mistake
17:10 – How Much Diversification Does a $20 Billion Endowment Really Need?
19:40 – Why Mega Funds Don't Work for WashU's Investment Strategy
23:15 – How WashU Gets Into the Best Companies Before Everyone Else
25:35 – Are Private Market Valuations Now Completely Detached From Reality?
28:10 – Why Half of Today's AI Companies Could Disappear in 10 Years
30:10 – When Should LPs Sell Their Biggest Winners After an IPO?
32:00 – Why Scott Wilson Walked Away From Sequoia Capital
34:15 – The Number One Reason WashU Fires Venture Managers
35:45 – Should LPs Forgive VCs for Deploying Their Funds in Just 18 Months?
38:30 – Is the AI Boom Heading for a Massive Shakeout?
45:15 – Why European Companies Are So Much Cheaper Than US Companies
47:30 – Why WashU Still Believes China Is a Great Place to Invest
48:30 – Is Government Overreach Actually Worse in the UK Than China?
50:10 – Quickfire: The Venture Funds Scott Wishes He Had Backed
53:00 – The Best Career Advice From a $20 Billion Endowment CIO