Michael Platt

Michael Platt co-founded BlueCrest Capital Management in 2000 with William Reeves, growing it into one of Europe's largest and most profitable hedge funds. BlueCrest combined discretionary macro trading with systematic strategies. Platt was known for his exceptional macro acumen across rates, currencies, and credit. In 2015, he controversially returned all client capital and converted BlueCrest into a family office managing only partners' own money — reportedly to retain a larger share of profits. The fund generated billions in returns through both market judgment and business model decisions. By converting to a family office structure, Platt freed himself from the regulatory constraints and investor relations demands that come with managing outside capital, allowing BlueCrest to take more concentrated and longer-duration positions that would be harder to maintain with institutional redemption risk.