Bridgewater Fund Expands Employee Stock Ownership Plan

An internal memo shows that hedge fund company Bridgewater Associates plans to expand its employee ownership plan next year, with over 60% of the employees expected to hold company shares. According to sources, this move, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Bridgewater Fund, will significantly increase the percentage of employee ownership - currently, only about 1% of employees hold shares in the company. Sources say the plan was announced in an internal memo to employees by Bridgewater Fund CEO Neil Bar-Dia. Prior to this, Bridgewater's flagship macro fund, "Pure Alpha," was experiencing its best performance since 2010. "We will make more than half of the company's employees true owners of Bridgewater," Bar-Dia said in the memo. "This has been our dream for many years. I know that many people have longed to have a part of Bridgewater ownership."