Co-founder and CIO of London-based Egerton Capital, one of Europe's longest-running major hedge funds.
Life story
John Armitage was born in the UK on 20 December 1959. He was educated at Eton and graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge, in modern history in 1981. Public sources say little about his parents or childhood. He acquired Irish citizenship in 2018.
How they got started
Armitage joined Morgan Grenfell in 1981 and was a director of its asset management arm from 1991 to 1994. From 1988 to 1994 he had sole responsibility for the Morgan Grenfell European Growth Trust.
In 1994 he co-founded Egerton Capital with his Morgan Grenfell colleague William Bollinger (who had worked at Julian Robertson's Tiger, hence Egerton's "Tiger cub" label). The firm started with $10M and five people; it managed $18.8B by the end of 2017 and $16.3B in January 2023.
Investment style
Egerton is long-biased, typically holding 35–40 longs with growing concentration in its top positions. Armitage favors a long-term perspective over short-term data and wants analysts to cover several sectors.
He attributes his success to three things: finding something you like, feeling you have more to learn, and always worrying.
Best decisions
Morgan Grenfell European Growth Trust
Under his management from 1988 to 1994, it was the top-ranked European mutual fund — the record that let him start his own firm.
Three decades of staying power
Over 30+ years Egerton has grown its starting capital roughly a hundredfold and is described as one of the longest-running and best major hedge funds.
Biggest mistakes
Missing Nvidia
Analysts note that not owning Nvidia has made keeping up with the benchmark harder in recent years.
Today
As of 2026 Armitage remains Egerton's CIO and lives in London. He has sat on the University of Cambridge's investment board since 2006.
What to learn from following the portfolio
- Egerton is a global fund, and the 13F shows only its US stocks — European holdings are invisible.
- In a concentrated portfolio, a meaningful position increase can signal strong conviction.
- Egerton has recently looked at insurance; insurers and financials usually fail halal screening. See each position's halal status on the Portfolio tab.
- 13F filings lag by 45 days — use them as an idea source.
An introduction based on public sources — not investment advice. Spotted an error? Let us know.