ALO36: The Endowment Playbook for Long-Term Investing ft. Paul Chai

Paul Chai joins Alan Dunne to discuss what it takes to manage a perpetual investment portfolio designed to support future generations. As CIO of the Kansas State University Foundation, Paul explains how disciplined asset allocation, thoughtful manager selection and strong governance create resilient long-term results. The conversation explores endowment investing, private markets, hedge funds, portfolio construction and the importance of building a decision-making culture where diverse perspectives are encouraged. It is a wide-ranging discussion about investing with humility, managing uncertainty and creating an investment process that can endure through changing market environments. ----- 50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE ----- Follow Niels on Twitter , LinkedIn , YouTube or via the TTU website . IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here . And you can get a free copy of my latest book “ Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio ” here . Learn more about the Trend Barometer here . Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast. Follow Alan on Twitter . Follow Paul on LinkedIn. Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Why better investment decisions start with diverse thinking 01:02 - Paul Chai's journey from engineering to institutional investing 04:50 - Managing a perpetual endowment for future generations 08:48 - Building resilient strategic asset allocations 11:54 - The advantages of managing a $1.2 billion endowment 15:29 - Portfolio construction beyond the traditional 60/40 model 20:57 - Strategic asset allocation versus total portfolio investing 24:05 - Lessons from the Yale Endowment model 26:26 - Finding unconventional investment opportunities 31:21 - Building a diversifying hedge fund portfolio 38:02 - Why CTA strategies no longer fit the portfolio 43:01 - Manager selection, due diligence and finding alpha 45:39 - The importance of grit when selecting investment managers 51:25 - Building better investment teams and decision-making cultures 57:20 - Advice for the next generation of long-term investors Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved ---- PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey: 1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here 2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here 3. Other Resources that can help you And if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click Here Privacy Policy Disclaimer