Former physicist and bond trader Zhu Changhong remains a mystery man to most, despite handling investment of “the world’s largest stash of cash,” China’s $3.5 trillion foreign reserves. From Lingling Wei and Bob Davis at The Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Zhu is a key figure in the allocation of trillions of dollars at a time when Europe still is looking for sources of capital and developing countries worry that the resources boom shows signs of ebbing. But despite being charged with directing China’s efforts to diversify its foreign reserves and earn decent returns, little is known about Mr. Zhu; Chinese media call him “invisible.”
A 43-year-old former physicist, Mr. Zhu has made one surprising turn after another in his career. At 20 years old, he moved from impoverished Anhui province to the University of Chicago to study quantum physics, but he then chucked a promising academic career to become a bond trader. He eventually ended up as the right-hand man to investor Bill Gross at Allianz SE‘s Pacific Investment Management Co., the giant investment firm, according to people familiar with Mr. Zhu’s work. [Source]
The report adds that “he is so low-key that China’s legions of Internet users complain that there isn’t a single picture of Mr. Zhu online.”
