# Pierre Lagrange
Pierre Lagrange is a Belgian fund manager who co-founded the London hedge fund firm [GLG Partners](https://www.edgepedia.org/glg-partners) in 1995 with [Noam Gottesman](https://www.edgepedia.org/noam-gottesman) and Jonathan Green, and who later became a senior executive at [Man Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/man-group) after it bought GLG in 2010. Before founding GLG he worked at Goldman Sachs managing global equity portfolios and began his finance career at JP Morgan in government bond trading; he holds an M.A. in Engineering from the Solvay Business School in Brussels.[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012309001954/y74473e8vk.htm) He is known for running GLG's global equity products, including its flagship European long-short fund, and after finance for buying and running the Savile Row tailor Huntsman and the education company Mrs Wordsmith.[2](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/pierre-lagrange-healthpointcapital/991408)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Co-founder of GLG Partners | With Noam Gottesman and Jonathan Green, September 1995, initially as a division of Lehman Brothers International (Europe)[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012310019302/y82920e10vk.htm) |
| Independence from Lehman | 2000, with Lehman taking an initial 20% minority stake[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012310019302/y82920e10vk.htm) |
| Asset growth | From $3.9 billion in 2002 to $24.6 billion in 2007[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted) |
| 2007 NYSE listing | Via a US shell company, valuing GLG at $3.4 billion[5](https://www.reuters.com/article/business/man-group-to-buy-glg-in-bid-to-kick-start-growth-idUSTRE64G23U/) |
| Sale to Man Group | $1.6 billion in 2010, $4.50 a share in cash, a 55% premium to the May 14 closing price[6](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-05-17/lagrange-glg-executives-to-receive-560-million-in-stock-from-sale-to-man) |
| Role at Man | Senior Managing Director of Man GLG, Executive Committee member, Chairman of Man Group Asia from 2011; senior adviser from December 2016[7](https://thehedgefundjournal.com/pierre-lagrange-32-years-in-finance/) • [8](https://www.investmentweek.co.uk/investment-week/news/3000966/glg-founder-lagrange-takes-advisory-role-man) |
| Later ventures | Chairman of Huntsman (acquired 2014) and CEO of Mrs Wordsmith (acquired 2021)[2](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/pierre-lagrange-healthpointcapital/991408) • [13](https://www.drapersonline.com/news/huntsman-to-focus-on-womenswear-under-new-owners) |
## Early life and education
Lagrange trained as an engineer, taking an M.A. in Engineering at the Solvay Business School in Brussels before entering finance.[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012309001954/y74473e8vk.htm) His first job was at JP Morgan in government bond trading.[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012309001954/y74473e8vk.htm) From 1990 he worked at [Goldman Sachs](https://www.edgepedia.org/goldman-sachs) managing global equity portfolios.[2](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/pierre-lagrange-healthpointcapital/991408) There, in the private client group at Goldman Sachs International in London in the late 1980s, he met Noam Gottesman; Lagrange specialized in European equities while Gottesman focused on US stocks.[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted)
## Founding and building GLG Partners
In September 1995, Gottesman, Lagrange, and Jonathan Green left Goldman Sachs, where they advised clients on over $1 billion in assets, to start GLG as a division of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) with significant managerial control.[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012310019302/y82920e10vk.htm) • [4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted) The name came from the first initials of their surnames.[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted) Within Lehman, Lagrange served as Partner and Managing Director Equities.[7](https://thehedgefundjournal.com/pierre-lagrange-32-years-in-finance/)
The firm began by managing accounts for private clients, primarily high and ultra-high net worth individuals from many of Europe's wealthiest families, and began offering fund products in early 1997.[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012310019302/y82920e10vk.htm) In 2000, GLG became an independent business; a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holdings initially held a 20% minority interest, later about 11% by Lagrange's account.[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012310019302/y82920e10vk.htm) • [7](https://thehedgefundjournal.com/pierre-lagrange-32-years-in-finance/) Lagrange has said GLG surpassed its five-year business plan in two years, which made the spin-off economics possible.[7](https://thehedgefundjournal.com/pierre-lagrange-32-years-in-finance/) In 2005 Lehman was reported to be in talks to buy out the founders in a deal worth $1.5 billion, at which point London-based GLG had at least $10 billion under management and Lehman still held its 20% stake.[9](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/lehman-in-talks-to-buy-out-hedge-fund-pioneers-in-1-5bn-acquisition-39378.html)
Growth accelerated in the 2000s: assets rose from $3.9 billion in 2002 to $24.6 billion in 2007, including about $4 billion in long-only strategies, with roughly five product launches a year.[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted) Headcount grew from about 55 in 2000 to 393 at the end of 2009.[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012310019302/y82920e10vk.htm) Green retired at the end of 2003.[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012310019302/y82920e10vk.htm) Lagrange had overall responsibility for GLG's global equity products, including the GLG European Equity Fund, the GLG Environment Fund, the GLG EAFE (Institutional) Fund, and the flagship GLG European Long-Short Fund.[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012309001954/y74473e8vk.htm)
## By the numbers
- **Assets under management**: $3.9 billion (2002) rising to $24.6 billion (2007)[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted); at least $10 billion in 2005 at the time of the Lehman buy-out talks[9](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/lehman-in-talks-to-buy-out-hedge-fund-pioneers-in-1-5bn-acquisition-39378.html).
- **2007 listing**: engineered through a US shell company and valued GLG at $3.4 billion, according to [Thomson Reuters](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomson-reuters) data.[5](https://www.reuters.com/article/business/man-group-to-buy-glg-in-bid-to-kick-start-growth-idUSTRE64G23U/) In the November 2007 reverse merger (private firm goes public by merging into an existing shell company) with Freedom Acquisition Holdings, Gottesman, and Lagrange each collected nearly $1 billion in cash and stock, and co-CEO Emmanuel Roman about $380 million.[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted)
- **2010 sale**: Man Group agreed to buy GLG for $1.6 billion, with shareholders receiving $4.50 a share in cash, 55% above the May 14, 2010 closing price.[6](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-05-17/lagrange-glg-executives-to-receive-560-million-in-stock-from-sale-to-man) • [10](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/business/18fund.html)
## Listing, sale to Man Group and role at Man
GLG listed on the [New York Stock Exchange](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-stock-exchange) in 2007 through a reverse merger with the shell company Freedom Acquisition Holdings.[7](https://thehedgefundjournal.com/pierre-lagrange-32-years-in-finance/) In May 2010, Man Group, then the world's biggest listed hedge fund firm, agreed to buy GLG for $1.6 billion to diversify its range of funds.[6](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-05-17/lagrange-glg-executives-to-receive-560-million-in-stock-from-sale-to-man) • [10](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/business/18fund.html) "Bigger is better for us," Lagrange told Reuters about the deal.[5](https://www.reuters.com/article/business/man-group-to-buy-glg-in-bid-to-kick-start-growth-idUSTRE64G23U/)
The founders' proceeds from the sale were reported differently at the time. Bloomberg reported that GLG executives including Lagrange would receive at least $560 million in stock, with managers getting Man shares worth more than $3.50 each and required to hold them for at least two years.[6](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-05-17/lagrange-glg-executives-to-receive-560-million-in-stock-from-sale-to-man) Reuters reported that Lagrange, Gottesman, and Roman together would receive $500 million in Man shares under a no-sale agreement.[5](https://www.reuters.com/article/business/man-group-to-buy-glg-in-bid-to-kick-start-growth-idUSTRE64G23U/)
After the acquisition closed in 2010, Lagrange became Senior Managing Director of Man GLG and a member of Man Group's Executive Committee, and in 2011 became Chairman of Man Group Asia.[7](https://thehedgefundjournal.com/pierre-lagrange-32-years-in-finance/) He was the only one of GLG's three founders still working at the business at its 20th anniversary; Green left in 2003 and Gottesman in 2011.[11](https://thehedgefundjournal.com/discretionary-man-glg-turns-20/) In December 2016 he stepped back from overseeing GLG's equity funds to become a senior adviser to Man Group's management.[8](https://www.investmentweek.co.uk/investment-week/news/3000966/glg-founder-lagrange-takes-advisory-role-man)
## Disputes and regulatory matters
Two regulatory actions from 2006 are on the public record. In August 2006 the UK Financial Services Authority fined GLG and the manager Philippe Jabre £750,000 each over alleged misuse of nonpublic information concerning a 2003 Sumitomo Mitsui convertible bond sale, and in December 2006 French regulators fined GLG €1.5 million over a 2002 Alcatel convertible bond sale.[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted) Both penalties were paid without admitting or denying guilt.[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted) In February 2009 Lagrange was elected a director of the listed company GLG Partners, Inc., filling the vacancy left by [Nicolas Berggruen](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicolas-berggruen)'s resignation.[1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012309001954/y74473e8vk.htm)
## After GLG: later ventures and investments
Lagrange bought the [Savile Row](https://www.edgepedia.org/savile-row) tailor Huntsman in 2014, becoming its chairman, and acquired the education company Mrs Wordsmith in 2021, of which he is CEO; his investments now focus on game-based literacy education.[2](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/pierre-lagrange-healthpointcapital/991408) He is also an advisor at the investment firm HealthpointCapital.[2](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/pierre-lagrange-healthpointcapital/991408) He is credited as executive producer of the films Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and [Kingsman: The Golden Circle](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingsman-the-golden-circle).[2](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/pierre-lagrange-healthpointcapital/991408) In a later interview he described buying Huntsman "by total coincidence" and installing a CEO and management team to run the business; that interview described him as responsible for $26 billion of investments at Man GLG and estimated his net worth at £300 million.[12](https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/one-britains-successful-hedge-fund-managers-says-investing/)
## How it compares with his peers
GLG's model differed from that of many 1990s London peers. Rivals such as [Brevan Howard](https://www.edgepedia.org/brevan-howard) and [Lansdowne Partners](https://www.edgepedia.org/lansdowne-partners) were centered on one or two funds, while GLG's founders built a multistrategy roster that included long-only portfolios alongside hedge funds.[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted) That breadth supported roughly five product launches a year and about $4 billion of long-only assets by 2007.[4](https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted) Its 2007 NYSE listing was also distinctive: Gottesman and Lagrange used a shell company to reach a $3.4 billion public valuation.[5](https://www.reuters.com/article/business/man-group-to-buy-glg-in-bid-to-kick-start-growth-idUSTRE64G23U/) After the sale, Man GLG continued as a multistrategy business, operating over 30 strategies with 134 investment professionals by 2017.[11](https://thehedgefundjournal.com/discretionary-man-glg-turns-20/)
## References
1. GLG Partners, Inc. Form 8-K (February 2009), SEC EDGAR. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012309001954/y74473e8vk.htm
2. Pierre Lagrange Executive Bio, Equilar ExecAtlas. https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/pierre-lagrange-healthpointcapital/991408
3. GLG Partners, Inc. Form E-10VK, SEC EDGAR. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1365790/000095012310019302/y82920e10vk.htm
4. The Undaunted, Institutional Investor. https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b150q91qmw5b5n/the-undaunted
5. Man Group to buy GLG in bid to kick-start growth, Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/business/man-group-to-buy-glg-in-bid-to-kick-start-growth-idUSTRE64G23U/
6. GLG Executives to Get $560 Million From Man Takeover, Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-05-17/lagrange-glg-executives-to-receive-560-million-in-stock-from-sale-to-man
7. Pierre Lagrange: 32 Years in Finance, The Hedge Fund Journal. https://thehedgefundjournal.com/pierre-lagrange-32-years-in-finance/
8. GLG founder Lagrange steps back from fund oversight to take on advisory role, Investment Week. https://www.investmentweek.co.uk/investment-week/news/3000966/glg-founder-lagrange-takes-advisory-role-man
9. Lehman in talks to buy out hedge fund pioneers in $1.5bn acquisition, The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/lehman-in-talks-to-buy-out-hedge-fund-pioneers-in-1-5bn-acquisition-39378.html
10. British Hedge Fund Buying a U.S. Rival, The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/business/18fund.html
11. Discretionary Man GLG Turns 20, The Hedge Fund Journal. https://thehedgefundjournal.com/discretionary-man-glg-turns-20/
12. Pierre Lagrange, hedge fund manager interview, Gentleman's Journal. https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/one-britains-successful-hedge-fund-managers-says-investing/
13. Huntsman to focus on womenswear under new owners (drapersonline.com). https://www.drapersonline.com/news/huntsman-to-focus-on-womenswear-under-new-owners
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Founders, operators, and investors › Hedge funds, trading firms, and public-market investors › Hedge funds and asset managers › Equity long/short and activist funds*
*Initially written Sep 19, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license