MPI solutions and research are frequently featured in a number of financial and investment media outlets.
Advisors reflect on AI and crypto outlooks after endowment study shows outperformance
InvestmentNews article references MPI’s new study showing that leading U.S. endowments outperformed in FY25, with top results potentially linked to significant allocations to AI and digital assets. Using these findings as a backdrop, the piece features several wealth management advisors discussing how they approach AI- and crypto-related investments, highlighting both the opportunities and the risks for investors.
Large Universities Like Michigan Benefited from Early Bets on AI, Crypto
Institutional Investor’s John Comtois highlights MPI’s new Transparency Lab research showing that elite endowments with early, targeted exposure to AI and digital assets—often via venture capital and hedge funds and some direct stakes—outperformed peers in FY25, adding as much as ~300 bps to returns when allocations were meaningful. The article quotes MPI co-founder & CEO Michael Markov: “It is plausible that AI and digital-asset exposure is now large enough to affect overall results,” noting implications for liquidity stress and governance as these positions scale.
Institutional Investor Featured MPI CEO’s Opinion Piece on Endowment Liquidity
Institutional Investor ran Michael Markov’s op-ed, “How Dartmouth Actually Became the Ivy League’s Switzerland,” demonstrating—via quantitative analysis—that the endowment’s modest liquidity risk and limited reliance on government funding helped shield it from the political turbulence facing other universities.
Are RIAs ready for the alternatives surge?
InvestmentNews piece spotlights a surge of alternative products aimed at RIAs and asks whether firms – many of them small and resource-constrained – are truly prepared. MPI president Jeff Schwartz is quoted noting that most RIAs lack alts-specific technology and rigorous research workflows, and that only those with experienced home-office teams should pursue individual PE/hedge funds; others may be better served by liquid alts given cost, transparency, and liquidity. Overall, the piece underscores strong client demand for alts – but an equally strong need for institutional-grade diligence, tools, and process. Schwartz was interviewed alongside industry leaders from Callan Family Office and International Assets Advisory.
‘A stress test’: Harvard has a $53 billion endowment. As Trump’s assault escalates, will it cash out?
The article highlights MPI’s endowment risk and liquidity research and quotes MPI CEO:
“This moment is a stress test on Harvard’s liquidity,” said chief executive Michael Markov.
Minnesota pensions embraced investing in private equity, a big risk that’s paid off
The article highlights the growing role of private equity in public pension portfolios. Star Tribune reporter Emma Nelson interviews Jill Schurtz, CIO of the $96 billion Minnesota pension system, State Senator Nick Frentz, MPI CEO Michael Markov and cites MPI’s analysis of Minnesota’s investment portfolio from the MPI Transparency Lab “that uses publicly available pension returns data to assess risk.”
“Minnesota’s pension funds are among the riskiest in the country because of how much they have invested in both public shares and private equity — the bulk of their investments — according to analysis from Markov Processes International.”
Yale seeks to sell billions in private equity investments as political pressures from Trump mount
Liese Klein, a reporter for CTInsider, interviews MPI CEO Michael Markov and Tim Yates, President and CEO of Commonfund Asset Management, to gain insight into the implications of Yale’s potential sale of “a major chunk of its private equity holdings.” While some may view the move as a routine rebalancing, the article highlights liquidity issues within the endowment portfolio, as revealed by MPI research.
“Political pressure is only part of a “perfect storm” currently impacting major private equity investors like Ivy League universities, said Michael Markov, CEO of quantitative analysis firm Markov Processes International. The company researches financial data on major university endowments to identify trends as part of its analysis of institutional investor strategy. Private equity returns have been down since 2022 as deals have lagged, with profits down to one-third of their former levels in some cases. Trump’s actions are adding to a liquidity squeeze as universities seek to continue operating… They needed a push from the White House to realize that they’re sitting on a time bomb,” Markov said. ” Click here to read full article.
Yale’s Potential PE Sale Won’t Solve Liquidity Challenges
Barron’s cover story: Harvard and Other Universities Face an ‘Existential Threat.’
Barron’s magazine cover story Harvard and Other Universities Face an ‘Existential Threat.’ Inside Trump’s War on Endowments offers a deep dive into the financial conundrum facing elite universities—and heavily cites MPI’s data and research Elite U.S. Endowments: Government Funding and Liquidity Pressure. “Yet squeezing more from endowments isn’t simply a matter of flipping a switch. Markov’s analysis suggests that universities such as Brown, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton—in part due to their high exposure to private equity—are already constrained to generate more liquidity,” write Barron’s Abby Schultz and Andy Serwer, echoing MPI’s assertion that poor endowment liquidity is a deliberate feature of the “Yale model” pioneered by the legendary David Swensen. They argue that government pressure comes at the worst possible time for these elite institutions.
Bloomberg Opinion by John Authers: Bears, Lions, Tigers — But No Bulls
Bloomberg’s John Authers “Points of Return” column past week titled Trade War: Victory Over Inflation Now Seems So Yesterday features a comprehensive analysis of challenges facing elite universities in light of potential suspension of federal funding based on MPI research Elite U.S. Endowments: Government Funding and Liquidity Pressure. “What’s preventing these elite schools from calling the president’s bluff? One reason is that their massive endowments are illiquid. Schools face differing financial strain depending on their reliance on government support. Markov Processes International’s analysis shows that about 37% of the biggest US endowments’ assets are in private equity, which is generally illiquid… MPI’s Michael Markov warns that they could thus be forced to sell PE holdings on the secondary market at a discount. The current market turmoil is pushing investors to weigh whether a discount might make sense for them,” writes Richard Abbey, citing MPI data and figures.
