have no affect on the economy. But an $85 billion cut in discretionary spending is going to tank the economy? If the economy were to soften, I can tell you it won’t be because it will not be because of this $85 billion.”
On why he doesn’t become a policymaker:
“Because my wife loves New York and I love my wife.”
On equities vs. bonds:
“One of the things that is kinda one of my pet peeves is hearing all these people on TV say, ‘Well, you gotta go into equities ’cause they’re so cheap relative to bonds and there’s no other game in town.’ They are cheap relative to bonds. But everything is cheap relative to bonds…So just because equities are cheap relative to bonds doesn’t mean their price isn’t subsidized. I’m not making a forecast here because the subsidization could go on for a long time. But real estate, gold, equities, they’re all priced off of ZIRP, zero interest rates, and they’re all subsidized.”
On whether the hedge fund industry could be in hot water 12-24 months from now and become even further consolidated:
“Oh, I don’t know. I think the hedge fund’s short-term thinking is just a manifestation of our entire society. Whether it’s the fed or whether it’s– the administration or whether it’s Congress, no one bothers to think about the long term anymore. And the hedge funds are just one more manifestation of that.”
On where investors should put their money right now:
“That’s hard for me to answer. Because I have the luxury of a lot of experience in sitting in front of a screen. And I can go into currency markets where it’s at a relative price. So it’s the one area where prices aren’t subsidized. And I’m arrogant enough to think I can time these things. But I don’t really know how to answer that question for public invest– but let me just say that this idea that you’ve got go plowing into risk because rates are zero, that they will rue the day one day. The music will stop. And I would probably be invested right now thinking I’m smart enough to know that we’re quite away from the music stopping. I don’t think Bernanke is about to end these policies for a while. But let’s just know what we’re dealing with here.”
On whether there needs to be more consolidation in the banking industry:
“I’d like to see them be more like utilities. I could care less whether they make money, unless I happen to own equities in it. But if we’re talking about as a United States citizen–I have no problem with banks being utilities and going back to what banks used to do…”
On whether banks should just be making loans:
“Yeah.”
On whether the most sophisticated bankers should work at hedge funds, not on sell-side trading desks:
“You said it, Stephanie, not me.”
On what his future looks like:
“I’m probably going to disappear again at some point. But in the meantime, I’m gonna do what I can to try and bring the awareness of this issue out because with respected economists, again, focusing on a little problem over here when you’ve got this big problem over here, I think the message needs to be out there.”
On whether he’ll start tweeting:
“No tweeting for me.”
