Scott Shleifer

Scott Shleifer
Born	Scott Louis Shleifer Template:Birth year and age
Birthplace	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Hedge fund manager, investor
Known for	Co-founding Tiger Global Management's private equity investing business
Education	University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School)
Spouse(s)	Elena Shleifer

Scott Louis Shleifer (born 1977) is an American billionaire investor and hedge fund manager who co-founded and led the private equity investing business of Tiger Global Management, one of the most prominent technology-focused investment firms in the world. Over a career spanning more than two decades at Tiger Global, Shleifer built the firm's private investment arm into a portfolio exceeding $30 billion in assets, making him one of the most influential figures in global venture capital and growth-stage technology investing during the 2010s and early 2020s. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Shleifer joined Tiger Global shortly after graduating from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and played a central role in the firm's expansion from a public equities hedge fund into one of the most prolific private market investors in the technology sector. In November 2023, Shleifer stepped down from his role overseeing Tiger Global's private equity operations and transitioned to a senior advisory position at the firm. Beyond his investment career, Shleifer has engaged in philanthropic activity, particularly in support of the University of Pennsylvania and educational institutions in his hometown of Portland.

Early Life

Scott Louis Shleifer was born in 1977 and grew up in Portland, Oregon. His family had roots in the Portland business community; the Shleifer family operated Shleifer Furniture, a retail furniture business in the Portland area that had been in operation for approximately 80 years before it closed in 2015. The long-running family business reflected a multigenerational connection to the Portland community that would later inform some of Shleifer's philanthropic interests.

Shleifer attended Beaverton High School in the Portland suburb of Beaverton, Oregon. He would later make a significant financial contribution to the school, donating $1.8 million to support its programs. This donation demonstrated Shleifer's continued connection to his Oregon roots even as his professional career took him to the East Coast and the world of global finance.

Education

Shleifer attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he enrolled at the Wharton School, the university's prestigious undergraduate business program. His time at Wharton provided the foundation for his career in finance and investment management. Shleifer would maintain a strong relationship with the University of Pennsylvania throughout his professional life, eventually becoming one of its notable donors. In 2022, an $18 million gift from Shleifer and his wife Elena was announced to support the Shleifer Family Penn First Plus program, designed to assist first-generation and lower-income students at the university.

Career

Early Career at Tiger Global Management

After graduating from the Wharton School, Shleifer joined Tiger Global Management, the New York-based investment firm founded by Chase Coleman III. Coleman, a protégé of legendary hedge fund manager Julian Robertson of Tiger Management, had established Tiger Global in 2001 as one of several "Tiger Cub" funds — firms launched by former employees and associates of Robertson's original Tiger Management fund.

While Coleman focused primarily on the firm's public equities hedge fund strategies, Shleifer took on the role of building out Tiger Global's private equity and venture capital investing business. In this capacity, Shleifer co-founded and led the firm's private investment arm, which would grow to become one of the largest and most active technology investors in the world.

Building the Private Investment Arm

Under Shleifer's leadership, Tiger Global's private investment business expanded from a relatively modest operation into a powerhouse that oversaw more than $30 billion in assets. The firm's private investment strategy focused on growth-stage and late-stage technology companies, and Shleifer developed a reputation for moving quickly and deploying large amounts of capital at speed — a strategy that distinguished Tiger Global from many traditional venture capital firms.

Bloomberg News described Shleifer as Tiger Global's "$65 Billion Man" in a 2021 profile, referencing his role in overseeing a substantial majority of the firm's total assets under management through the private equity business. This characterization reflected the extent to which the private investment arm that Shleifer built had grown to eclipse the firm's original public equities hedge fund in terms of assets.

Tiger Global under Shleifer's private investment leadership became one of the most prolific investors in technology "unicorns" — privately held companies valued at $1 billion or more. The firm made investments in a broad range of technology companies across sectors including e-commerce, financial technology, software, and internet services. Axios noted that Shleifer "was one of the biggest players in the tech 'unicorn' boom."

The firm's investment approach under Shleifer was notable for its speed and volume. Tiger Global was known for conducting due diligence and committing capital faster than many competitors, often making investment decisions in a matter of days rather than weeks or months. This approach allowed the firm to secure allocations in competitive funding rounds but also drew scrutiny from observers who questioned whether the pace of investment could lead to insufficient vetting of portfolio companies.

Expansion into Global Markets

A significant component of Tiger Global's private investment strategy under Shleifer involved investments in international markets, particularly in China and India. The firm made substantial bets on Chinese technology companies, a strategy that proved highly lucrative during the rapid growth of China's internet economy in the 2010s. Bloomberg reported in 2021 that Shleifer maintained confidence in the firm's China-focused investments even as Chinese regulatory authorities began a broad crackdown on the country's technology sector, which affected the valuations of many companies in Tiger Global's portfolio.

The Tech Boom and Subsequent Downturn

The period from 2020 to 2021 represented a peak for Tiger Global's private investment business. During this time, the firm deployed capital at an extraordinary pace, participating in hundreds of funding rounds as low interest rates and enthusiasm for technology companies drove valuations to historic highs. Tiger Global raised and deployed multiple private equity funds during this period, becoming one of the most active investors in the global startup ecosystem.

However, the rapid reversal in technology company valuations that began in late 2021 and accelerated through 2022 posed significant challenges for the firm. As interest rates rose and investor sentiment toward growth-stage technology companies cooled, many of the companies in Tiger Global's portfolio experienced substantial declines in their valuations. New York Magazine described Tiger Global as a "poster child of the tech meltdown" in a June 2022 article examining the firm's fortunes amid the market downturn.

The downturn affected both Tiger Global's public and private investment portfolios. The firm's hedge fund suffered notable losses in 2022, and the marks on its private equity holdings were also revised downward as the broader technology sector contracted. The period tested the investment thesis that had driven the firm's rapid expansion under Shleifer's leadership.

Transition to Advisory Role

On November 21, 2023, multiple news outlets reported that Shleifer would step down from his role as head of Tiger Global's private equity business at the end of that year. Bloomberg reported that Shleifer, who had overseen a majority of the firm's assets, would leave his operational role.

According to TechCrunch, Shleifer transitioned to a senior advisory role at the firm, described as a full-time position with no defined end date. The transition marked the end of Shleifer's direct management of the private equity portfolio he had spent over two decades building. TechCrunch described his tenure as a "wild ride," referencing both the extraordinary growth of the private investment business during the technology boom and the subsequent challenges posed by the market downturn.

Business Insider noted that with Shleifer's departure from his operational role, the investment industry was speculating about what would come next both for Shleifer personally and for Tiger Global's private equity operations. The publication emphasized the scale of Shleifer's influence, noting that he had "steered billions into startups for Tiger Global" over the course of his career.

The Financial Times reported that the private equity business Shleifer oversaw had grown to more than $30 billion in assets, making it one of the largest pools of privately invested technology capital in the world.

Post-Departure Developments at Tiger Global

Following Shleifer's transition to an advisory role, Tiger Global Management continued its operations. In late 2025, reports indicated that the firm was seeking to raise $15.4 billion in new capital, adopting what was described as a "significantly more conservative fundraising strategy" compared to its approach during the height of the technology investment boom. This more measured approach reflected broader changes in the venture capital and growth equity markets in the wake of the 2022 technology downturn.

Personal Life

Scott Shleifer is married to Elena Shleifer. The couple resides in Florida.

In 2025, Law360 reported on a legal matter involving Shleifer and his wife in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, in which a tax attorneys professional association filed a brief supporting the couple's bid for a $1.9 million tax refund. According to the report, a Florida district court had previously blocked the refund claim.

Shleifer's family has connections to Portland, Oregon, where the Shleifer family operated Shleifer Furniture for approximately 80 years. The Portland Business Journal reported in 2015 that the furniture business would close after its long run.

Philanthropy

Shleifer has made several notable philanthropic contributions, with a particular focus on education.

In 2022, the University of Pennsylvania announced an $18 million gift from Scott and Elena Shleifer to establish the Shleifer Family Penn First Plus program. The program was designed to support first-generation and lower-income students at the university, providing resources and community support to help these students succeed during their time at Penn. The Palm Beach Daily News reported on the gift, noting that Shleifer, a Wharton graduate, was demonstrating a commitment to expanding access to the university for students from backgrounds similar to his own.

In December 2025, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania announced the Shleifer Senior Fellows Program, funded by a gift from Scott and Elena Shleifer. The program was created to expand the center's engagement with practitioners in the energy policy field.

Shleifer also donated $1.8 million to Beaverton High School, his alma mater in the Portland, Oregon area, to support the school's programs.

Recognition

Forbes has included Shleifer on its list of billionaires, estimating his wealth based on his long tenure and partnership stake at Tiger Global Management. Forbes Israel also included Shleifer on its list of Jewish billionaires in 2022.

Bloomberg maintains a profile of Shleifer as a notable figure in the hedge fund and private equity industry.

Shleifer's role at Tiger Global placed him at the center of some of the most significant trends in technology investing during the 2010s and early 2020s. His approach to private market investing — characterized by rapid deployment of capital at scale into growth-stage technology companies — influenced the broader venture capital and growth equity industries, as competitors sought to match Tiger Global's speed and volume. The firm's experience during the subsequent technology downturn also served as a case study in the risks associated with rapid capital deployment in elevated market conditions.