Viking Global Investors

Ole Andreas Halvorsen co-founded Viking and serves as CEO, but investment decisions are made collaboratively. In May 2024, the firm formalized a succession plan by naming A. William Douglas and Ninan Thampy as Chief Investment Officers alongside Halvorsen (per the firm's official communications, 2024). The three co-CIOs share responsibility for portfolio construction and risk management.

Viking runs its core long/short equity strategy in public markets while deploying capital into private companies through Viking Global Opportunities, its dedicated private investment vehicle. The firm uses the same fundamental research framework for both public and private investments, often identifying companies early in their lifecycle and maintaining exposure through IPO and beyond.

Viking is a direct descendant of Julian Robertson's Tiger Management. All three co-founders — Ole Andreas Halvorsen, David Ott, and Brian Ratzan — worked at Tiger before launching Viking in 1999 with seed capital from Robertson. This lineage, shared by other so-called Tiger Cubs like Chase Coleman's Tiger Global, shapes the firm's commitment to deep fundamental research.

Viking is known for running a concentrated portfolio of high-conviction positions across both public and private markets. The firm typically holds positions for multiple years, reflecting a research process designed to identify durable competitive advantages and long-term compounding dynamics rather than short-term trading catalysts.

Viking Global Foundation serves as the firm's primary philanthropic vehicle, funded by partners' contributions. The foundation focuses on education, environmental conservation, and health-related initiatives. It operates separately from Viking's investment activities and is a core part of the partners' personal giving, with Ole Andreas Halvorsen and his wife personally significant donors.

Viking's private deal flow often originates from its public-equity research process. The firm tracks companies for years before they consider private rounds, leveraging sector expertise built through analyzing publicly traded peers. This approach reduces reliance on traditional venture capital sourcing networks and gives Viking an informational advantage when evaluating private growth-stage companies.

Viking invests globally, with a significant concentration in North America but active exposure in Europe and Asia. The firm's London and Hong Kong offices support its international research and investment activity, allowing Viking to deploy capital across developed and emerging markets in sectors where it has developed deep analytical competency.