Cathie Wood
Born 1955 · Age 70
American investor; founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Investment Management (ARK Invest); known for thematic, disruption-focused actively managed ETFs (notably ARK Innovation ETF / ARKK).
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth of Catherine Duddy Wood
Born Catherine Duddy Wood in Los Angeles, California, to Irish immigrant parents; father worked as a radar systems engineer, shaping early interest in technology.
Graduated Notre Dame Academy (approx.)
Completed secondary education at Notre Dame Academy (Catholic girls' school) in Los Angeles (year estimated based on birth year).
Started career at Capital Group (Assistant Economist)
Began work as an assistant economist at The Capital Group in Los Angeles (source states career began in 1977).
Moved to New York and joined Jennison Associates (approx.)
Reported move to New York and employment at Jennison Associates where she later held roles including Chief Economist, Equity Research Analyst, Portfolio Manager and Director (Jennison tenure lasted ~18 years).
Earned BS, summa cum laude, USC (Finance & Economics)
Graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics; was taught/mentored by economist Arthur Laffer.
Jennison Associates tenure (approx. start)
Approximate start of an 18-year period at Jennison Associates that included senior research and portfolio roles (exact start/end years not specified in sources).
Co-founded Tupelo Capital Management (approx.)
Co-founded hedge fund Tupelo Capital Management (source says the fund managed ~US$800M in global thematic strategies by 2000); exact founding year not specified — represented here as around 1999–2000.
Tupelo Capital reported managing ~US$800M
Tupelo Capital Management, the hedge fund she co-founded, reportedly managed approximately US$800 million in global thematic strategies by 2000.
Joined AllianceBernstein as CIO, Global Thematic Strategies (approx.)
Left Tupelo and joined AllianceBernstein to run Global Thematic Strategies; sources state she spent 12 years at AllianceBernstein and managed over US$5 billion while CIO (exact start/end years are approximate).
Concluded 12-year tenure at AllianceBernstein (approx.)
Completed roughly 12 years at AllianceBernstein as CIO of Global Thematic Strategies (approximate end of role prior to founding ARK).
Registered ARK Investment Management LLC with SEC (founded ARK Invest)
Formally registered ARK Investment Management LLC as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (ARK Invest) to focus on disruptive innovation; Wood became Founder, CEO and CIO.
Launched ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK)
Debut of ARK Invest's flagship actively managed thematic ETF, ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), focused on disruptive technologies such as robotics, AI, genomics and blockchain.
Launched the Duddy Innovation Institute at Notre Dame Academy
Established the Duddy Innovation Institute at her alma mater, Notre Dame Academy, to provide expanded educational experiences for young women (reported in 2018).
Predicted Tesla target of US$2,000 (bold valuation call)
Publicly made a dramatic valuation prediction for Tesla (October 2018), claiming a target price of US$2,000 and up to US$4,000 in a bull case — a widely reported, high-conviction projection.
ARK Innovation ETF returned ~153% in 2020
ARKK posted an exceptional year in 2020, delivering ~153% return amid the tech/innovation rally; this performance significantly raised ARK's profile and Wood's public prominence.
ARK was fastest-growing fund company in 2020
ARK Invest saw massive inflows and growth in 2020 driven by ARKK's performance and public interest in disruptive tech investing.
ARK Invest AUM crossed approximately US$60 billion
ARK's total assets under management reportedly exceeded US$60 billion around February 2021 as investor inflows surged after 2020 gains.
ARK Innovation ETF briefly became largest active ETF (peak prominence)
Following its 2020 gains, ARKK briefly became the largest actively managed ETF on the market in early 2021.
Launched The ARK Transparency ETF (ARKT)
ARK launched a Transparency-focused ETF (ARKT) in December 2021 that tracked a Transparency Index — a product designed to highlight corporate disclosure transparency.
Severe market losses for ARK funds in 2022
ARK Innovation ETF and other ARK funds experienced large declines during the 2022 market sell-off (interest rate sensitive, growth-heavy holdings); ARKK lost about 66–67% in 2022.
Closed/shuttered the ARK Transparency ETF (~9 months after launch)
ARK shuttered the Transparency ETF approximately nine months after its December 2021 launch after the underlying Transparency Index was discontinued by Transparency Global.
ARK sold Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) holdings before conversion
ARK reportedly sold its GBTC holdings prior to the vehicle's conversion into a spot Bitcoin ETF, and bought shares in ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (reporting includes 4.3M shares purchased of the ProShares product).
ARK Innovation ETF +68% in 2023 (rebound year)
ARKK recovered strongly in 2023 producing a roughly 68% gain for the year, partially reversing earlier declines.
ARK buys roughly US$42M of Tesla shares (reported)
Reports indicate ARK purchased approximately US$42.0 million in Tesla stock in January 2023 (one of multiple Tesla buys over time).
ARK buys approx. US$21M of Coinbase stock
ARK funds added roughly US$21 million in Coinbase shares across three ARK funds (reported May 31, 2023).
Broadcast conversation with Elon Musk scheduled (appearance on X)
An on-air conversation with Tesla CEO Elon Musk was set to be broadcast on Musk's X platform— widely reported around late October 2023 as a notable public engagement.
Ark family fund five-year return breakdown (as reported)
As of 2024 reporting, among ARK's six active ETFs only two had five-year annualized returns of 10%+ (ARKQ and ARKW), reflecting mixed multi-year performance across the family.
SEC approves multiple spot Bitcoin ETFs; ARK/21Shares ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF launched
After U.S. SEC approval of several spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, ARK Invest partnered with 21Shares to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF (ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF) offering regulated spot BTC exposure.
Morningstar labels ARK fund family poorly; Morningstar analysis of decade losses
Morningstar analysis (Feb 2024 reporting) labeled the ARK fund family a 'value destroyer' citing ~US$14.3 billion in shareholder value lost Jan 2014–Jan 2024; separate sources cite ARKK as the third-highest 'wealth destroyer' 2014–2023 (US$7.1B lost).
Public advocacy and thought leadership on cryptocurrencies and blockchain
Cathie Wood and ARK publicly embraced blockchain and Bitcoin, advocating for regulated, transparent crypto exposure and producing research/education for investors; pushed for balanced regulation to enable innovation.
Continued role as Founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest
Maintained leadership at ARK Invest, responsible for the firm's investment philosophy, research-driven approach and final investment decisions across ARK portfolios.
ARK Innovation ETF year-to-date performance (reported)
Bankrate reported ARKK was down about 9.5% year-to-date as of October 16, 2024; ARK remained vocal about long-term prospects despite volatility.
Ongoing public profile and frequent media coverage
Continues to be a polarizing and influential figure in investing; frequently covered by major outlets (Forbes, Bloomberg, etc.) for ARK investment moves and views on disruptive innovation and AI.
Key Achievement Ages
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