A "Tiger Cub" from Julian Robertson's Tiger Management who has run the Maverick Capital hedge fund since 1993.
Life story
Lee Ainslie was born in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1964. His father was headmaster of Episcopal High School, from which Lee graduated. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA from UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
How they got started
Ainslie worked at Julian Robertson's legendary Tiger Management; alumni who launched their own funds became known as "Tiger Cubs." In 1993 he helped form Maverick Capital at the invitation of billionaire entrepreneur Sam Wyly and has led it as managing partner.
Maverick grew quickly, managing about $9B by 2013. Its flagship fund returned roughly 11.2% a year from March 1995 to early 2022.
Investment style
Maverick is a classic long/short equity fund: it buys companies it expects to do well and shorts those it considers weak. Decisions rest on deep fundamental research, with sector-specialist analysts in the Tiger tradition.
Best decisions
A long-term record
The flagship fund gained about 1,650% cumulatively from 1995 to early 2022 — roughly 11.2% a year — making Maverick one of the longest-lived Tiger Cub funds.
Biggest mistakes
The 2022 growth-stock crash
In Q1 2022 Maverick's flagship fund lost 22.9%, with losses coming from longs while shorts were profitable. Many Tiger Cub funds suffered heavy losses in that period.
Today
As of 2026 Ainslie continues to lead Maverick. He sits on the board of the Robin Hood Foundation and is a limited partner in the Washington Commanders, acquired in 2023.
What to learn from following the portfolio
- Maverick is long/short — the 13F shows only longs, not shorts, so it does not reflect the fund's true net exposure.
- The portfolio is broad (hundreds of stocks) and turns over quickly — focus on the largest and most increased positions rather than small ones.
- A broad portfolio spans many sectors: technology names are more likely to be halal, while financials usually are not. See each position's halal status on the Portfolio tab.
- 13F filings lag by 45 days — copying an actively traded fund is especially risky.
An introduction based on public sources — not investment advice. Spotted an error? Let us know.