{{Short description|American businessman (born 1964)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Lee Ainslie | birth_name = Lee S. Ainslie III | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1964}}<ref name=Ainslie>{{Cite web|url=https://aktien-mag.de/portfolio-manager-mit-14-lee-ainslie/p-19637|title=PORTFOLIO-MANAGER MIT 14 – LEE AINSLIE|website=Traderfox|date=19 September 2018 |access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref> | birth_place = [[Alexandria, Virginia]], U.S. | alma_mater = {{ubl|[[University of Virginia]]|[[University of North Carolina]]|[[UNC Kenan–Flagler Business School]]}} | title = {{ubl|'''Managing partner'''|Maverick Capital|'''Limited partner'''|[[Washington Commanders]] ([[NFL]])}} | known_for = Founding [[Maverick Capital]] | spouse = Elizabeth | children = 2 | boards = [[Robin Hood Foundation]] }}
'''Lee S. Ainslie III''' (born 1964) is an American businessman who founded the [[hedge fund]] firm [[Maverick Capital]].<ref>McKinsey & Co. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=_XZ8JcBgItoC&dq=lee+ainslie&pg=PT424 Value: The Four Cornerstones of Corporate Finance].'' Chapter 6. John Wiley and Sons, 2011. {{ISBN|0470424605}}, {{ISBN|978-0470424605}}.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/hedgefunds-ainslie-idUSS1E78C15Z20110913 "Ainslie's Maverick Cap backfires in August,"] Reuters, September 11, 2011</ref> He is also a board member of the [[Robin Hood Foundation]] and owns a minority stake in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) team [[Washington Commanders]].
==Early life and education== Ainslie's father was headmaster of [[Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)|Episcopal High School]], a boarding school in [[Alexandria, Virginia]], from which Ainslie graduated.<ref>[http://www.institutionalinvestor.com/Article/1788355/Research/4079/Overview.html#.VAoAURbd3MM "Comeback Kid,"] Institutional Investor, December 19, 2007</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/chroniclesofepis0000whit/page/271/mode/1up |page=271 |title=Chronicles of the Episcopal High School in Virginia, 1839-1989 |last=White |first=John |year=1989 |publisher=William L. Bauhan |location=Dublin, New Hampshire |isbn=978-0-87233-100-6 |via=[[Archive.org]] |lccn=89039957 |oclc=20356179 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-02-24}}{{registration required|nolink=y}}</ref> Ainslie holds a bachelor's degree from the [[University of Virginia]] and an [[Master of Business Administration|MBA]] from the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] [[Kenan–Flagler Business School]].<ref name='whatever'/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/~/media/Files/documents/mba-recruiting-finance.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-04-12 |archive-date=2014-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905215237/http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/~/media/Files/documents/mba-recruiting-finance.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Career== Prior to founding [[Maverick Capital]] in 1993, Ainslie worked at [[Tiger Management]], where he and other former employees had been nicknamed "[[List of Tiger Cubs (finance)|Tiger Cubs]]" in the [[hedge fund]] industry.<ref name='whatever'>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121003102938/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=4652176&privcapId=4651452&previousCapId=678733&previousTitle=Universal%20Music%20Group,%20Inc. "Maverick Capital Ltd."], Bloomberg Businessweek</ref><ref>[http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=4652176&privcapId=4651452&previousCapId=36118&previousTitle=GEEKNET%20INC "Lee S. Ainslie III,"]{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Bloomberg Businessweek (profile)</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/|title=Institutional Investor|website=Institutional Investor|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pionline.com/article/20070611/PRINT/70607028/a-calm-exterior-face-to-face-with-lee-ainslie "A calm exterior: Face to Face with Lee Ainslie," ''Pensions & Investments''], June 11, 2007</ref><ref>[https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/tiger-management-helps-next-generation-funds/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 "Tiger Management Helps Next-Generation Funds,"] ''The New York Times'', July 30, 2012</ref><ref>[https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2011/07/30/stetsons-and-spreadsheets "The Lone Star State attracts plenty of financial whizzkids,"] ''The Economist'', July 30, 2011</ref> Ainslie helped form Maverick Capital in 1993 at the invitation of billionaire [[Sam Wyly]].<ref>[http://www.institutionalinvestor.com/Popups/PrintArticle.aspx?ArticleID=1788355 "Comeback Kid,"] ''Institutional Investor'', December 19, 2007</ref><ref>[https://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_Lee-Ainslie-III_AWXC.html "The World's Billionaires,"] ''Forbes'', March 5, 2008</ref> Maverick Capital was reported to have $9 billion under management in 2013.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-06/hedge-funds-trail-stocks-by-the-widest-margin-since-2005.html "Hedge Funds Trail Stocks by the Widest Margin Since 2005,"] Bloomberg, December 6, 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.worth.com/index.php?option=com_listings&view=slideshow&id=17 "The Top 10 Hedge Funds to Watch in 2013,"] Worth magazine</ref>
Ainslie has been profiled in books such as ''Hedge Hunters'', by Katherine Burton,<ref>Burton, Katherine. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=N1iURiIDZG4C&q=Ainslie Hedge Hunters]''. Chapter 6. John Wiley and Sons, 2010. {{ISBN|0-470-88518-1}}, {{ISBN|978-0-470-88518-5}}.</ref> ''New Investment Superstars'' by Lois Peltz.<ref>Peltz, Lois. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Yj0LIWZocugC&dq=lee+ainslie&pg=PA109 New Investment Superstars]''. Chapter 5. John Wiley and Sons, 2001. {{ISBN|047140313X}}, {{ISBN|978-0471403135}}</ref> and ''The Big Win'' by Stephen Weiss.<ref>Weiss, Stephen. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=FZZCVIs_DKsC&dq=lee+ainslie&pg=PA83 The Big Win]''. Chapter 5. John Wiley and Sons, 2012. {{ISBN|0470916109}}, {{ISBN|978-0470916100}}</ref>
Ainslie supported [[Mitt Romney]] in the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 U.S. presidential election]].<ref>[http://www.institutionalinvestor.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3101654#.VAn-LRbd3MM "Meet Mitt Romney's Hedge Fund Backers,"] Institutional Investor, October 12, 2012</ref><ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0914/Mitt-Romney-shifts-campaign-focus-back-to-the-economy "Mitt Romney shifts campaign focus back to the economy,"] The Christian Science Monitor, September 14, 2012</ref> He is on the board of directors of the [[Robin Hood Foundation]].<ref>[http://www.robinhood.org/governance#section-1 "About,"] robinhood.org.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060919194133/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/09/18/8386204/index.htm "The legend of Robin Hood,"] Fortune magazine, September 8, 2006</ref> In 2023, Ainslie was a part of an investment group led by [[Josh Harris (businessman)|Josh Harris]] that purchased the [[Washington Commanders]], an American football team belonging to the [[National Football League]] (NFL), for $6.05 billion.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maske |first1=Mark |last2=Jhabvala |first2=Nicki |title=NFL owners approve sale of Commanders from Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/20/washington-commanders-sale/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=July 21, 2023 |date=July 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Josh Harris Announces Acquisition of Washington Commanders |url=https://www.commanders.com/news/josh-harris-announces-acquisition-of-washington-commanders |location= |publisher=Washington Commanders |agency= |date=July 21, 2023 |access-date=July 21, 2023}}</ref>
==Personal life== He and his wife Elizabeth have two sons.<ref>[http://capitalizeforkids.com/speakers/#lee Capitalize for Kids Investors Conference 2014 (biography)]{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * [http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-6643111/A-calm-exterior-Lee-Ainslie.html "A calm exterior; Lee Ainslie's soft-spoken demeanor cloaks a hard-headed investor with a relentless focus on performance.(Face to Face Lee Ainslie),"] ''Pensions & Investments'', June 11, 2007 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060919194133/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/09/18/8386204/index.htm "The Legend of Robin Hood,"] ''Fortune'', September 8, 2006 * [https://www.forbes.com/2001/09/10/wallstreetelite.html "Wall Street's Elite,"] ''Forbes'', September 10, 2001 * [http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Financial_Services/Investment_Management/Inside_a_hedge_fund_An_interview_with_the_managing_partner_of_Maverick_Capital_1760 "Inside a hedge fund: An interview with the managing partner of Maverick Capital,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615113715/http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Financial_Services/Investment_Management/Inside_a_hedge_fund_An_interview_with_the_managing_partner_of_Maverick_Capital_1760 |date=2011-06-15 }} ''McKinsey Quarterly'', April 2006
==External links== *{{Crunchbase|lee-ainslie|Lee Ainslie|person}}
{{Washington Commanders owners}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ainslie, Lee}} [[Category:1964 births]] [[Category:American financial company founders]] [[Category:American hedge fund managers]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:UNC Kenan–Flagler Business School alumni]] [[Category:University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni]] [[Category:Washington Commanders owners]] [[Category:Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia) alumni]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Alexandria, Virginia]]