New York Times Blogs – After pouring money into Barack Obama’s campaign, what can hedge funds and their executives expect from the new president?
If history is any exmaple, says FINAlternatives, they shouldn’t expect a cuddly relationship.
Mr. Obama didn’t appear sympathetic to the industry on the campaign trail, the publication noted, calling John McCain the candidate of “Joe the Hedge Fund Manager,” a riff on McCain’s pledge to serve the “Joe the Plumbers” of the U.S.
And during his time in the Senate, FINAlternatives noted, Mr. Obama sponsored a bill that would have required hedge fund managers to set up anti-money laundering programs supervised by the Treasury Department. (The Treasury abandoned a similar proposal last week).
The president-elect has also backed tax proposals that increase the burden on hedge funds and private equity shops, the publication said.