You Can't Keep a Bad Man Down

Brian Hunter, the website-suer, Richard Kimble wanna-be and Amaranth Fund torpedo-er, arguably one of the worst hedge fund managers in history, has come storming back, according to FINalternatives newsletter.

Peak Ridge Commodity Volatility Fund, which has been advised by Hunter since last year, is up 103% since its November launch, and returned 49% in the first quarter. Boston-based private equity shop Peak Ridge Capital Group bought the assets of Solengo Capital Advisors, the hedge fund Hunter tried—and failed—to set up in the wake of Amaranth’s collapse. In addition to Hunter, Peak Ridge hired nine other Solengo vets, including Shondell Sabad, who served as chief operating officer at Solengo and is now CFO of Peak Ridge.

Hopefully the fund is open to new investors, so that stupid people can buy into this fund before it collapses.

FINalternatives points out that Hunter is facing enforcement action by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Who cares? Give this man your money.

© 2008 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.

Horrible News! Another Brian Hunter Failure

I just can't help weeping today. Seems that Brian Hunter, the much-investigated website-suer who was responsible for the biggest hedge fund collapse in history -- Amaranth Advisors -- is on the brink of having another failure on his hands.

His latest venture, Solengo, may go belly-up. And Hunter, being as big a blamer as he is a suer, blames them -- the regulators who are unfairly probing the little dear. Here's the bad news in Dealbreaker.

Oh no! Can someone please give this fine man a few million to get him on his feet again and give him another opportunity to lose money for his investors!

© 2007 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.



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Wall Street Versus America was published by Penguin USA on April 6.
Click here for its Amazon.com listing and here for more information on the book, from my web site, gary-weiss.com.

Brian Hunter Pulls a 'Richard Kimble'

Any fan of the great old sixties show The Fugitive will appreciate the latest news from the saga of Brian Hunter: hedge fund failure, website-suer, and all-around creep.

The Globe and Mail reported today that Hunter, on a lunch break from an interview with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, suddenly "pulled a Kimble" and lit out!

I'm serious. Here's what the Globe and Mail says:

Brian Hunter, the Calgarian who made more than $100-million trading natural gas for Amaranth Advisors LLC before the hedge fund collapsed, fled the U.S. as Washington regulators were trying to interview him earlier this year, the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says.

"He was in the middle of an interview and there was a lunch break, and he never came back from lunch," FERC chairman Joseph Kelliher said in an interview yesterday after announcing preliminary findings that Amaranth, Mr. Hunter and another trader manipulated the market over three months early last year. FERC is seeking total penalties of $291-million (U.S.).

Why do you think he did that? I mean, what's going on here.... Were they, like, rude to him or somthing? Did he have indigestion.....? Or maybe he....

Oh, wait a second. I know!

He's looking for the one-armed man who actually manipulated the natural gas market!



Dealbreaker has more, but I think my theory makes the most sense.

© 2007 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.



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Wall Street Versus America was published by Penguin USA on April 6.
Click here for its Amazon.com listing and here for more information on the book, from my web site, gary-weiss.com.

Another Regulator Piles on Brian Hunter

Brian Hunter, former head trader of the world-class hedge fund disaster Amaranth Advisors, got another kick in the slats today. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission wants Amaranth and Hunter to pay $291 million in fines and penalties for manipulating natural gas futures.

Yesterday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed similar charges against the website-suing trader and Amaranth, which was the biggest hedge fund collapse in history.

Hey, I have a question: isn't market manipulation against the law? Don't people go to prison for that? Just wondering. After all, it seems to me that what these guys are talking about is a lot worse than insider trading.



Corporate cretin Patrick Byrne of Overstock.com, who blames all his company's failings on hedge funds, once said that he doesn't dislike all hedge funds, just the baddies -- in other words, all hedge funds except the one run by his brother, or the one through which he owns the bulk of the company's shares.

I think I have found a hedge fund honcho who would melt Patrick Byrne's heart.

P.S. I wonder how investors in Solengo Capital, Hunter's new plaything, feel about their fair-haired boy?

© 2007 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.



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Wall Street Versus America was published by Penguin USA on April 6.
Click here for its Amazon.com listing and here for more information on the book, from my web site, gary-weiss.com.

Three Cheers for the CFTC! Hip hip hooray!

It's not every day that a guy can really gush about a regulatory agency -- heaven knows, the ones I generally write about tend to suck -- but I am really enthused today about the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Today comes word that the CFTC has sued one of the most truly odious characters in hedge fundland -- quite a distinction, that -- the sue-happy, free-speech-oppressing, failed former head of the collapsed Amaranth Advisors hedge fund, Brian Hunter.

As I've mentioned in the past, Hunter has given the expression "junk lawsuits" a new and odious meaning. His new hedge fund, Solengo Capital, has filed a ridiculous lawsuit suing Dealbreaker.com for publishing a marketing brochure.

There's nothing lovelier than seeing a sue-er like Hunter getting a taste of his own medicine, particularly for behavior that is really porcine.

According to Bloomberg, the CFTC's suit charged Amaranth with trying to manipulate U.S. natural gas prices, and sought an injunction against Amaranth and Hunter, who was its chief trader.

The Bloomberg story says

Hunter ``actually bragged about flexing his muscles upon America's natural gas markets,'' said Gregory Mocek, enforcement director for the commission, said on a conference call with reporters today.

So now he can actually brag about being both a sue-er and a sue-ee. In fact, the sound of the latter brings Hunter very much to mind.



© 2007 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.



-----------

Wall Street Versus America was published by Penguin USA on April 6.
Click here for its Amazon.com listing and here for more information on the book, from my web site, gary-weiss.com.