It has been confirmed online that the chief investment officer at Yale University, David Swensen has sadly passed away at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer.
Swensen went on temporary leave from his job in September 2012 to undergo treatment and then returned to his duties at Yale.
He was reported to have died on May 6. Yale University today released an official statement confirming that Swensen has passed on:
Dear Members of the Yale Community,
I write with profound sadness to share the news that David Swensen, Yale’s chief investment officer, died yesterday evening after a long and courageous battle with cancer. David served our university with distinction. He was an exceptional colleague, a dear friend, and a beloved mentor to many in our community. Future generations will benefit from his dedication, brilliance, and generosity.
After receiving his PhD in economics from Yale in 1980, David worked for Salomon Brothers and Lehman Brothers before returning to Yale in 1985 to lead our investments office. With his guidance, Yale’s endowment yielded returns that established him as a legend among institutional investors. Over the years, he lectured at Yale College and the School of Management. On Monday, he and long-time friend and colleague Dean Takahashi taught the last class of the term for Investment Analysis, a seminar they co-instructed for thirty-five years.
