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Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:57 am
by Bob Juch
Harvard University says its endowment has tumbled $8 billion in the four months since the end of the last fiscal year.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28031648/

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:00 am
by Obscenely Rich Bastard
I already have the first pink slip filled out.....

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:02 am
by minimetoo26
Four months? Geez Louise, why do they even bother charging tuition if they can lose 8 billion out of the endowment in that time? How big was it to start with?

I see now why Steve ignores his school's pleas for cash most of the time. It's like an Ivy League Arms Race to see who can hoarde the most ducats sometimes....

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:10 am
by MarleysGh0st
minimetoo26 wrote:Four months? Geez Louise, why do they even bother charging tuition if they can lose 8 billion out of the endowment in that time? How big was it to start with?
You don't build endowments to spend it on tuition aid! Sheesh! :roll: :wink:

ghostjmf could probably tell you how large the endowment used to be, but suffice to say that it was big. And anybody in the market this year has taken a beating. We're lucky if we're small enough to have escaped the "sophisticated" investments like hedge funds and those complex, new mortgage packages.

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:16 am
by gsabc
Which translates to a 22% decrease, and still doing better than the S & P during the same period. They're not hurting, for all the talk on compensation and headcount assessments.

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:31 pm
by SportsFan68
minimetoo26 wrote:Four months? Geez Louise, why do they even bother charging tuition if they can lose 8 billion out of the endowment in that time? How big was it to start with?

I see now why Steve ignores his school's pleas for cash most of the time. It's like an Ivy League Arms Race to see who can hoard the most ducats sometimes....
Agree. I ignore the pleas from mine all the time.

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:01 pm
by WheresFanny
MarleysGh0st wrote:
minimetoo26 wrote:Four months? Geez Louise, why do they even bother charging tuition if they can lose 8 billion out of the endowment in that time? How big was it to start with?
You don't build endowments to spend it on tuition aid! Sheesh! :roll: :wink:

ghostjmf could probably tell you how large the endowment used to be, but suffice to say that it was big. And anybody in the market this year has taken a beating. We're lucky if we're small enough to have escaped the "sophisticated" investments like hedge funds and those complex, new mortgage packages.
Boy, do I feel stupid. I always thought she worked for Rich University. But I just now looked and don't see any school by that name that isn't a 'get rich quick' scheme.

(And no, there is nothing to be read into this post other than exactly what I said. It really never occurred to me that it was a derisive moniker rather than an actual place.)

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:29 am
by MarleysGh0st
WheresFanny wrote:Boy, do I feel stupid. I always thought she worked for Rich University. But I just now looked and don't see any school by that name that isn't a 'get rich quick' scheme.

(And no, there is nothing to be read into this post other than exactly what I said. It really never occurred to me that it was a derisive moniker rather than an actual place.)
ghostjmf doesn't even like to use accurate pronouns, much less real names! :wink:

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:35 am
by WheresFanny
MarleysGh0st wrote:
WheresFanny wrote:Boy, do I feel stupid. I always thought she worked for Rich University. But I just now looked and don't see any school by that name that isn't a 'get rich quick' scheme.

(And no, there is nothing to be read into this post other than exactly what I said. It really never occurred to me that it was a derisive moniker rather than an actual place.)
ghostjmf doesn't even like to use accurate pronouns, much less real names! :wink:
That's one of the reasons I felt so stupid for taking it at face value.

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:37 am
by littlebeast13
WheresFanny wrote:
MarleysGh0st wrote:
WheresFanny wrote:Boy, do I feel stupid. I always thought she worked for Rich University. But I just now looked and don't see any school by that name that isn't a 'get rich quick' scheme.

(And no, there is nothing to be read into this post other than exactly what I said. It really never occurred to me that it was a derisive moniker rather than an actual place.)
ghostjmf doesn't even like to use accurate pronouns, much less real names! :wink:
That's why I felt so stupid for taking it at face value.
I'd have never known Rich U = Harvard were it not for me being able to see email addresses over at Phoenix....

Then again, I have a hard time reading ghost's posts in their entirety.....

lb13

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:38 am
by Mini [Bot]
WheresFanny wrote:
MarleysGh0st wrote:
WheresFanny wrote:Boy, do I feel stupid. I always thought she worked for Rich University. But I just now looked and don't see any school by that name that isn't a 'get rich quick' scheme.

(And no, there is nothing to be read into this post other than exactly what I said. It really never occurred to me that it was a derisive moniker rather than an actual place.)
ghostjmf doesn't even like to use accurate pronouns, much less real names! :wink:
That's one of the reasons I felt so stupid for taking it at face value.
For the record, I'm an actual person and not software........





:P

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:44 am
by WheresFanny
Mini [Bot] wrote:
WheresFanny wrote:
MarleysGh0st wrote: ghostjmf doesn't even like to use accurate pronouns, much less real names! :wink:
That's one of the reasons I felt so stupid for taking it at face value.
For the record, I'm an actual person and not software........






:P
That's what all software tries to make you think. I'm not falling for your mind games, evil non-human software bot!

Re: Harvard's endowment takes $8 billion hit

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:47 am
by WheresFanny
littlebeast13 wrote:
WheresFanny wrote:
MarleysGh0st wrote: ghostjmf doesn't even like to use accurate pronouns, much less real names! :wink:
That's why I felt so stupid for taking it at face value.
I'd have never known Rich U = Harvard were it not for me being able to see email addresses over at Phoenix....

Then again, I have a hard time reading ghost's posts in their entirety.....

lb13
Ghost Posts are like New Year's Resolutions. I feel strangely compelled to start them but my enthusiasm starts to fade shortly thereafter.