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Gerber Kawasaki
Founded in 2010 by Ross Gerber and Danilo Kawasaki, the Santa Monica-based registered investment adviser built its early reputation on a high-conviction,...
Gerber Kawasaki
Founded in 2010 by Ross Gerber and Danilo Kawasaki, the Santa Monica-based registered investment adviser built its early reputation on a high-conviction, thematic growth strategy. Gerber, a frequent CNBC contributor, positioned the firm not as a family office for the ultra-rich but as a modern wealth manager for a younger cohort of tech-industry employees, entrepreneurs, and social-media followers. The firm’s origin ties directly to the post-financial-crisis era when a new generation of investors sought direct exposure to the companies whose products they used daily. Gerber Kawasaki’s strategy centers on publicly traded equities, with significant allocations to large-cap technology, digital media, and electric vehicles. The firm achieved wide recognition for a secular bet on Tesla Inc., holding a core position through a volatile decade and explicitly advocating for its electric-vehicle and energy-storage thesis. Beyond Tesla, the portfolio spans names across artificial intelligence, social media, and streaming entertainment, including meta-platforms and digital-content giants. While the core book runs long-only public equities, Gerber has publicly discussed evolving the model to include private-market investments via SPVs for select clients, blending traditional wealth management with venture-style access. Geographic focus remains heavily weighted toward U.S.-listed companies, though the underlying revenue streams of its key positions are globally diversified. The firm operates from its headquarters in Santa Monica, California, with Gerber serving as the primary investment voice and Kawasaki managing day-to-day operations. Headcount and total assets under management are not public, but the firm's regulatory filings and media footprint support an estimated multibillion-dollar advisory business, fueled by both organic growth from Gerber’s media platform and market appreciation of its concentrated holdings. In early 2024, Gerber made headlines with public statements criticizing Tesla's board governance, signaling an activist stance within a core holding — a departure from the passive cheerleading typical of long-only managers (per Reuters, April 2024). The firm also engages in adjacent media enterprises, including a podcast network, which acts as both a client-acquisition funnel and a platform for Gerber’s investment commentary. Structurally, Gerber Kawasaki differentiates through its media-amplified, influencer-CIO model. Where most RIAs grow through referrals or acquisitions, Gerber Kawasaki functions as a direct-to-investor content brand. This architecture lets the firm bypass institutional gatekeepers and build a nationally dispersed client base of younger, tech-aligned wealth. The succession model is unclear, but the firm’s asset concentration in a single personality presents a distinctive governance challenge — its brand and investment thesis remain inseparable from Gerber’s public persona, making the firm an ongoing case study in the durability of influencer-led asset management.
General information
Firm type
Bank / Wealth / Trust
Year founded
2010
AUM
$2B – $5B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Santa Monica
Corporate office
Santa Monica, CA, United States
Principals
Ross Gerber
President & CEO
Danilo Kawasaki
Partner & COO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Gerber Kawasaki?
Ross Gerber serves as President and CEO, acting as the firm's chief investment voice and portfolio strategist. Danilo Kawasaki is Partner and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing day-to-day operations. The firm's investment approach is heavily driven by Gerber's macro and thematic views, which he communicates regularly through media appearances and social platforms. No separate CIO or independent investment committee is public record.
How much exposure does Gerber Kawasaki have to Tesla?
Tesla Inc. has historically been the firm's most significant and publicly advertised concentrated position, forming the cornerstone of its growth-equity strategy since the early 2010s. Gerber has stated in media appearances that Tesla represented a major percentage of client portfolios during its highest-growth period. The exact allocation weight fluctuates with market conditions and client mandates but remains the single most visible holding associated with the firm.
Does the firm invest in private companies or just public equities?
Gerber Kawasaki primarily manages portfolios of publicly traded equities, with a focus on large-cap technology and consumer-discretionary names. Ross Gerber has publicly discussed a desire to offer private-market access, including through special purpose vehicles for qualified clients, indicating a partial shift toward late-stage venture or pre-IPO opportunities. However, the firm's regulatory structure and core offerings remain rooted in public-market wealth management.
What type of client does Gerber Kawasaki typically serve?
The firm targets a younger, tech-native demographic distinct from traditional high-net-worth wealth managers. Its client base includes technology-industry employees, entrepreneurs, and individuals who discovered the firm through Gerber's social-media presence and television appearances. The firm blends mass-affluent and high-net-worth service by offering direct-indexing and thematic portfolio strategies typically reserved for institutional investors.
How does Gerber Kawasaki's media presence affect its investment approach?
Ross Gerber's role as a frequent CNBC contributor and social-media personality is deeply integrated into the firm's operations, functioning as both a client-acquisition channel and a platform for broadcasting investment theses. This creates a unique dynamic where the firm's public positions are immediately known and subject to real-time market reactions. The media visibility also exposes the firm to reputational risk tied to the performance of its highest-conviction calls.
Is Gerber Kawasaki structured as a family office or a traditional RIA?
Gerber Kawasaki is a registered investment adviser, not a family office. It manages capital for a broad client base of individuals, trusts, and corporations rather than serving a single family's wealth. While Ross Gerber's personal brand is central to the firm's identity, the legal and operational structure follows a standard RIA model with fiduciary obligations to multiple external clients.
What is the relationship between Gerber Kawasaki and Ross Gerber's podcast and media ventures?
Ross Gerber operates a podcast network and active social-media channels that run alongside the RIA. These ventures are media enterprises that generate audience engagement and indirectly funnel prospective clients to the wealth-management practice. They are not investment vehicles but serve as a branding engine, publicly broadcasting Gerber's market commentary and reinforcing the thematic narratives that underpin the advisory business.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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