Remembering David Swensen and His Lasting Legacy at Yale

The Yale ICF is deeply saddened to have lost David Swensen ‘80 PhD. Swensen is the late Chief Investment Officer at the Yale Investments Office and is considered a trailblazer in the university endowment space.

ICF Faculty Director, Professor William Goetzmann, remembers his friend as: “an innovative leader in portfolio management. He left a remarkable legacy: a distinctive investment model anchored in humanism & a commitment to sharing his knowledge.”

David has always been a major supporter of the Yale ICF over the years. Swensen participated in several ICF conferences and generously visited Professor Goetzmann’s classes to spend time with Yale SOM students. He is known to many as the createor of the “Yale Model” and has left a lasting impact on Yale University. We're extremely grateful for his work, his contributions to Yale, and sharing his time with us.

Below we share some of our wonderful memories of David Swensen:

January 2020: David Swensen was the EMBA Asset Management colloquium speaker, invited by Professor William Goetzmann. He spoke to students about portfolio management and the “Yale Model.” Read more.

April 2014: Professor Jeffrey Garten interviewed various people considered to be highly influential in shaping the future of global finance after the 2007/2008 financial crisis. Garten interviewed David Swensen about the “Future of Global Finance.” Watch the interview.

February 2014: David Swensen participated in a panel, moderated by Professor William Goetzmann, about “Finance in Society: Market and Behavior.” Watch the panel.