David Harding

David Harding is a British physicist who co-founded Man AHL in 1987 (the systematic trading arm of Man Group) before founding Winton Group in 1997. Winton became one of the largest commodity trading advisors (CTAs) in the world, managing over $30 billion at its peak. Winton's investment approach is grounded in statistical research and scientific methodology — Harding built a large team of scientists, mathematicians, and researchers who study financial market data to identify persistent patterns, test hypotheses rigorously, and deploy strategies only when statistical evidence supports them. This data-driven, hypothesis-testing culture set Winton apart from trend followers who relied more on heuristic rules. The fund has invested heavily in data science, alternative data, and machine learning research to continuously improve strategy performance. Harding is also a major philanthropist, donating hundreds of millions to scientific research institutions including the Royal Institution and Cambridge University.