Israel Englander

Israel Englander (born 1948) is an American billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist who founded the multi-strategy investment firm Millennium Management in 1989 with an initial $35 million in capital. As of November 2025, Englander serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Millennium, which manages approximately $79 billion in assets under management through a platform allocating capital to hundreds of independent trading teams. His net worth is estimated at $26.2 billion (Bloomberg, November 2025), primarily derived from the success of his hedge fund, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the finance industry.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Orthodox Jewish parents who were Polish immigrants, Englander earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from New York University in 1970 but later dropped out of the university's MBA program. He began his career on Wall Street in 1976 as a floor broker at the American Stock Exchange. In 1984, he co-founded the broker-dealer Jamie Securities with John Mulheren, which specialized in options trading. Englander launched Millennium Management after leaving Jamie, building it into a prominent hedge fund known for its risk-averse, multi-manager model that emphasizes consistent returns over high-risk bets, generating over $56 billion in investor gains since inception.

Under Englander's leadership, Millennium has achieved notable success, including ranking among the top-earning hedge funds in 2015 when he was one of the five highest-paid managers in the industry. In November 2025, he sold a 15% stake in the firm to investors, valuing Millennium at $14 billion and signaling preparations for potential succession at age 77. However, Englander's career has not been without controversy; in 2005, Millennium settled U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges related to improper trading practices from 1999–2003, paying $180 million while Englander personally contributed a $30 million fine. He resides in New York City, is married, and has three children.

Englander maintains a low public profile but engages in philanthropy primarily through his 138 Foundation, which has directed funds to donor-advised funds and other charitable vehicles, though his giving receives a low score of 1 on Forbes' philanthropy scale.