Ray Dalio Cashes Out: Why Dumping His Final Hedge Fund Stake Is a ’Dream Come True’

Bridgewater's billionaire founder just severed ties with his empire—and he's oddly euphoric about it.

The Ultimate Exit Strategy

After decades dominating Wall Street, Dalio finally unshackled himself from the $160 billion behemoth he built. No more boardroom battles, no more quarterly performance panic—just pure, unadulterated freedom.

From Hedge Fund King to Crypto Curious

While Dalio won't say where his cash is headed next, insiders note his recent fascination with Bitcoin's 'digital gold' narrative. Maybe he's finally realized yield farming beats yelling at analysts.

A Cynic's Footnote

Of course he calls this liberation—nothing screams 'dream' like dumping illiquid private equity before the next Fed-induced liquidity crunch.

key takeaways

• Founder Ray Dalio has fully relinquished his stake in Bridgewater and board position.
• Control has shifted to employee partners, with Co-CIO Bob Prince now the largest individual partner.
• A sovereign wealth fund from Brunei now holds a minority stake in the firm.
• Dalio plans to remain a mentor to those at Bridgewater.

Ray Dalio Says He's 'Thrilled' by the Transition

“Ray has always described the transition as a ‘dream come true’ and we’re excited to have made it a reality together,” said Bridgewater CEO Nir Bar Dea and Co-Chair Mike McGavick in letter last week to clients viewed by Investopedia.

Dalio’s transition away from his duties at Bridgewater began in 2017 with his departure as CEO. He then stepped down in 2020 as the firm’s co-chief investment officer, before exiting as chair in 2021.

In a LinkedIn post yesterday marking the firm's 50th year, Dalio said, “I am thrilled about it because I love seeing Bridgewater alive and well without me—even better than alive and well with me. That's because I see this as a as-good-as-it-gets life cycle, and, from my perspective of being a 76-year-old who loves Bridgewater and the people at Bridgewater (many of whom I have worked with for decades), it's like seeing my kids being strong and healthy without me, which is much better than being a 76-year-old parent having to take care of them."

Bridgewater said the firm has seen double-digit returns in 2025 so far, with its Pure Alpha fund up 17%. The S&P 500, by contrast, has climbed about 6% year-to-date.

So Who's Running the Firm Now?

Dalio is stepping down from Bridgewater’s board on top of divesting his ownership in the hedge fund. A minority stake in Bridgewater has also been taken by Brunei's sovereign wealth fund, the Brunei Investment Agency, after redeeming its investments in Bridgewater’s funds, Reuters reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

In the wake of Dalio’s exit, Co-CIO Bob Prince is now Bridgewater’s largest individual partner, while majority ownership is in the hands of a broad group of employees. The MOVE marks a rare, full-circle founder exit in an industry known for founder-led investment firms and sets a new course for the decades-old institution.