Ken Moelis, 51, might have made a great trader: His market timing is impeccable. In February 2007 he quit UBS as president of investment banking, just before the subprime crisis ignited, hammering many investment banks — especially UBS.
Later that year, just as boutique investment banks began their ascent, Moelis formed his own firm. Moelis & Co. has advised Hilton Hotels on its sale to Blackstone Group, Anheuser-Busch Cos. on its purchase by InBev and Yahoo! on its defense against Microsoft.
Currently, it is counseling Dubai World on its debt restructuring. With 260 employees, Moelis & Co. is expanding into London, Europe and Asia and may branch into other areas of the capital markets. Maybe CEO Moelis will get to test his trading acumen after all.
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