Early Life
Christopher Anthony Hohn was born in October 1966 in Addlestone, Surrey, England. His father, Paul, was a Jamaican-born car mechanic, and his mother was a legal secretary. Hohn attended St Paul's County Secondary School and later earned a first-class honors degree in accounting and business economics from the University of Southampton in 1988. He then obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School, graduating as a Baker Scholar in 1993, placing him in the top 5% of his class.
Rise to Success
Hohn began his career at Apax Partners in 1994 and later joined Perry Capital in 1996, eventually heading their London operations. In 2003, he founded The Children's Investment Fund Management (TCI), a hedge fund focused on long-term investments. TCI has since become a significant player in the hedge fund industry, known for its activist investing and has generated nearly $70 billion in net gains for investors since its inception. Hohn's fund is known for taking concentrated positions in a limited number of stocks, including companies like Microsoft, Visa, and GE Aerospace.
Key Business Strategies
TCI employs a value-based investment strategy, focusing on high-quality companies with sustainable competitive advantages. The fund often engages in shareholder activism to drive operational improvements and unlock shareholder value. Hohn's approach involves deep fundamental research and a long-term perspective, which has contributed to the fund's strong performance.
Philanthropy
Hohn is widely recognized for his philanthropic efforts through the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), which he co-founded with his ex-wife, Jamie Cooper-Hohn. CIFF supports initiatives in child health, climate action, and reproductive rights. Hohn has been knighted for his contributions, and his foundation has made significant charitable disbursements, with roughly $800 million annually targeting climate change.