April 16, 2020

Jan van Eck and Steve Curley, CFA: Inside the Mind of an ETF Pioneer

Jan van Eck and Steve Curley, CFA: Inside the Mind of an ETF Pioneer

This episode features Jan van Eck, CEO and Director of Van Eck Associates, which manages more than $50 billion. He originally joined the family firm in 1992. In this episode, van Eck discusses the history of his firm, the early days of his career and...

This episode features Jan van Eck, CEO and Director of Van Eck Associates, which manages more than $50 billion. He originally joined the family firm in 1992.

In this episode, van Eck discusses the history of his firm, the early days of his career and what led him to eventually join the family business, the future of gold and bitcoin, how his firm decides to launch an ETF, some of his more popular ETFs including e-sports, green bonds and fallen angels, and what the future is for the industry.

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(0:38) -  Colby Donovan and Steve Curley introduce the podcast
(1:50) – Introduce Jan van Eck
(3:20) – His path to joining the family business
(6:05) – Why investors need to read more history
(10:05) – Thoughts on gold and cryptocurrencies right now
(13:50) – Future of a bitcoin ETF
(17:30) – How the firm has grown to $50 billion in assets
(19:28) – Trends in the industry and with fund flows in 2020
(22:20) – His firms’ e-sports ETF ($ESPO)
(24:00) – The firms’ decision-making process of launching a new ETF
(25:20) – Importance of understanding China’s economy
(27:00) – Next bet for Van Eck Associates
(28:35) – Thoughts on Green Bonds
(30:15) – What foreign countries offer attractive risk/reward right now
(35:10) - What is the most egregious ethics violation you have seen over the course of
your career?

Past guest include Cliff Asness, Jason Zweig, Annie Duke, Morgan Housel, Raphael Bostic, and many more.