Patrick Degorce

Degorce has French nationality, and Swiss residence.^[1]

Degorce was an officer in the French Navy in his 20s, before switching to a career in financial services.^[2][3]

He worked for Merrill Lynch Investment Managers for seven years, rising to fund manager.^[3][4]

In 2003, Degorce was a co-founder, along with Chris Hohn, of The Children's Investment Fund Management (TCIF) hedge fund.^[5]

In 2007, Degorce wrote to the Dutch bank ABN AMRO calling for its break up, citing its unsuccessful cost-cutting plans.^[3] The letter and subsequent press attention ultimately led to its purchase by a consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland, in what was at the time the world's largest bank takeover at US$98.3 billion.^[3][6]

In 2009, Degorce founded Theleme Partners LLP, a hedge fund based at 15 Davies Street, Mayfair, London, and is its CEO and CIO.^[7] Theleme is based in the same premises as hedge fund powerhouse Lansdowne Partners, with whom they share some back office functions.^[3]

Degorce was British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's boss at the Children's Investment Fund Management and Theleme Partners.^[5][8]

In 2011, Degorce was one of the earliest investors in the pharmaceutical company Moderna (when they only had about ten employees), in the hope that they could help find a cure for his "high school sweetheart" wife, who had Stage IV lung cancer.^[9]

In October 2017, following hearings at lower courts, three judges at the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of HMRC in respect of a film financing tax avoidance scheme dating back to 2006–07, and Degorce was liable to pay tax of £7.5 million.^[10]

As of November 2017, Theleme Partners managed funds totalling US$2.8 billion.^[11]