Presidential Election May Mean More Hedge Fund Regulation

James Chanos – head of the hedge fund Kynikos Associates and the industry advocacy group the Coalition of Private Investment Companies – spoke of his concerns that the current U.S. Presidential Election may result in more regulation of the hedge fund industry. Mr. Chanos was one of the keynote speakers at the Securities and Financial Markets Associations Hedge Funds and Alternative Investment Summit in New York. Mr. Chanos, during his speech, commented upon the corollary effect between political change and market upheaval. Citing the work of Princeton University professor Sean Wilentz, Mr. Chanos discussed how dramatic shifts in the regulatory treatment of the markets often followed those Presidential elections that occurred during times of economic tumult. As Mr. Chanos stated, We’re about to have a shift in the pendulum; it’s in the cards.