Michael Platt

Michael Platt worked at JP Morgan for 10 years, becoming one of the bank's leading interest rate derivatives traders, before co-founding BlueCrest Capital Management with William Reeves in 2000. Starting with $1 billion in assets, Platt grew BlueCrest through a combination of discretionary macro trading — specialising in rates and credit — and systematic quantitative strategies. The firm managed roughly $37 billion at its peak in 2013, making it one of the largest hedge funds in Europe. BlueCrest's systematic arm, BlueTrend, was separately managed as a CTA and became a major platform for trend-following strategies. In 2015 Platt made the surprising decision to return outside investor capital and convert BlueCrest entirely to a private family office managing Platt's own capital and that of employees, citing the ability to operate with full flexibility without the regulatory burden of external investor management. The firm's performance since converting has reportedly been exceptional, with estimates suggesting multi-billion dollar personal gains. Platt is regarded as one of the most technically sophisticated rates traders of his generation, combining deep derivatives expertise with a systematic approach to portfolio construction and risk management.