The world’s largest hedge fund has delivered its strongest profit performance in its 50-year history.
Under the leadership of CEO Nir Bar Dea, Bridgewater Associates’ flagship Pure Alpha fund surged 33% in 2025, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 (+16.97%) and the broader macro hedge fund average (~15%).
📊 THE SCORECARD (2025 Performance): Bridgewater fired on all cylinders, leveraging volatility from President Trump’s trade wars and the AI equity boom:
- Pure Alpha: +33% (Record profits).
- Asia Total Return: +36.9%.
- China Total Return: +34.2%.
- All Weather: +20.4%.
🤖 THE AI PIVOT: The firm’s strategic bet on technology is yielding early results.
- AIA Macro Fund: The dedicated AI-driven fund delivered an 11.9% return.
- Innovation: The “Artificial Investor” tool was rolled out fully in 2024, led by Co-CIO Greg Jensen and Chief Scientist Jas Sekhon.
🏛️ A NEW ERA (The Post-Dalio Transition): 2025 marked the final decoupling from founder Ray Dalio, who sold his remaining stake and stepped down from the board this year.
- Strategic Overhaul: CEO Bar Dea’s strategy to restrict inflows and shrink the asset pool (to ~$92B) to improve agility appears to have paid off.
- Ownership: The firm is moving toward a partnership model, with >60% of staff set to own equity by next year.
💡 ANALYST TAKEAWAY: Bridgewater has successfully navigated the most dangerous phase for any iconic firm: the Founder Exit. By posting record returns immediately after Dalio’s departure, the new leadership (Bar Dea, Karniol-Tambour, Prince, Jensen) has proven that the “machine” works independent of its creator.
👇 Macro Traders: With Pure Alpha up 33% and China funds up 34%, is the “Global Macro” strategy officially back in vogue for 2026?