Billionaires Exploit AI to Double Their Wealth in One Year

Last year was a banner year for many hedge funds and quantitative investment firms, and Greenwich, Connecticut-based Applied Quantitative Research (AQR) was no exception.

All three of AQR’s billionaire founders have seen their net worths double. (Photo: AQR Capital Management Facebook)

Its assets under management surged to $187 billion, an increase of $73 billion in 2025, Cliff Asness and Guerin Blask reported for Forbes Daily on Mar. 17, 2026.

All three of AQR’s billionaire founders saw their net worths double. Chief Investment Officer Cliff Asness, who holds an estimated 30% stake, is now worth $6.3 billion, while cofounders John Liew and David Kabiller each saw their fortunes rise to over $2 billion.

If AQR sustains last year’s growth trajectory, it could surpass its previous peak of $226 billion in assets reached in 2018—marking a notable comeback after managing less than $100 billion just four years ago amid underperformance and investor outflows.