Karl Kroeker, co-founder of hedge fund Woodline Partners, was sued by a former employee claiming he contributed to a demeaning work culture and repeatedly made sexually inappropriate comments, and that she was fired as she grappled with postpartum depression.
Danielle di Bari, a 32-year-old executive admin who left the firm in May, alleges in the lawsuit that Kroeker, 51, on multiple occasions proposed suggestive hypothetical questions to her and fellow EAs, and that she was fired after requesting to work remotely for an extra day a week to accommodate her postpartum depression.
When Woodline opened in 2019, the San Francisco-based firm had one of the year’s biggest debuts. It managed to attract $2 billion in commitments at a time when investors were weary of the hedge fund industry’s high fees and mediocre performance. The pedigree of its founders, Citadel alumni Kroeker and Michael Rockefeller, 43, likely helped lure investors, and the firm now manages about $6 billion.
At a company happy hour, for example, Kroeker asked a group of female EAs if they would rather have their boyfriend cheat in a purely physical one-night stand, or have an emotional affair lasting months, according to di Bari. In May, he took them to dinner and asked if they would pick a man who goes to the bar while they’re in labor, or one who wears fake breasts for a year to help with breastfeeding, she claimed. In both cases he asked each woman to answer, according to the lawsuit.
In April, Woodline shifted from being fully remote to mandating staff work from the office at least three days a week, according to di Bari. She made a special request to come in two days a week as she had returned from maternity leave the month prior and was experiencing depression.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Billionaire Rokos’s Hedge Fund Bet Billions on Tech in the Second QuarterRokos Capital Management bought more than $2.7 billion of shares in the Invesco QQQ Trust last quarter, part of a wager on the technology sector.
Read more »
China’s sliding yuan could be next ‘black swan event’ for markets, hedge fund EDL saysFirm is betting on further falls for China’s offshore currency
Read more »
Ex-Bridgewater Executive to Launch Eight Hedge-Fund Style ETFsFormer Bridgewater Associates LP executive Bob Elliott is expanding his firm’s ETF lineup with a variety of hedge fund-like strategies.
Read more »
Hedge Fund That Sees Hard US Landing Bets on Chinese EquitiesThe rally in equities is set to grind to a halt as investors come to grips with slowing US growth, and seasonal factors are likely to compound the selling pressure, according to Vantage Point Asset Management.
Read more »
Called ‘Hedgegate,’ myriad hedge complaints filed in Valley EastReportedly the result of one person with a tape measure and an agenda, the City of Greater Sudbury has received more complaints than usual regarding the height of hedges
Read more »
Hedge funds slow value exodus as AI hype drives up growth stocksJPMorgan Chase questions if outperformance will return
Read more »