Bill Browder is the CEO and Co-Founder of investment fund Hermitage Capital Management, which at one time was the largest foreign portfolio fund in Russia.

Bill studied at Stanford Business School and upon graduation in 1989, mixed with some soul searching, Bill joined the Boston Consulting Group. During an assignment in Poland the following year, he came across the mass privatisation of companies at one half of one year’s earnings. He took his life savings of $2,000, invested it and made 10x his money back.

This led Bill to co-found HCM in 1996, citing “big successes don’t come from people spotting business opportunities, but being interested in something which becomes a business opportunity”.

Described as one of Putin’s biggest critics, and this podcast may confirm just that, his journey has been far from simple. In this episode, Bill tells us about his life as a businessman and an activist, and paints a picture of his conflict with Russia. He also touches on how he moved the business to a global market.

Today’s episode highlights the sheer determination of taking risks, and that spotting an opportunity can lead to great success even in dire circumstances.

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