Thread by @wolfejosh

1/ In Memoriam: Art Samberg.

A reminder: LIFE is short.

Often, a person’s greatest legacy is not what they achieve for themselves but what they do for others: in this case, it was the act giving someone else a chance.

Someone gave me a chance long ago...

2/ It was core to his spirit; he gave many others a chance, which in turn inspired them to give countless others a chance — a force multiplier that made a true mark on the world, rippling forward memorably, forever.

This week we lost a legend, a friend, a mentor....

3/ Today, I (remotely) joined a memorial with friends and family of Art Samberg.

We are all lucky to exist today. If we are even more privileged, we get to live a life with minimal suffering, full of joy compounded by friends and family...

4/ The luckier still get to find love + create other lives who we hope also lead joyful lives

But the pinnacle of prosperity is doing all that while still having the generosity to help, impact + inspire an uncountable number of other people in a lasting way.

This was Art’s art

5/ The most celebrated (but least interesting thing) about Art Samberg was that he was an investing legend. He built Pequot up from a small $3 million fund to reach $15 billion in assets, the largest hedge fund in its time...

6/ A Bronx boy, the son of an electrician, 1st to attend college @MIT, a b-ball love + an immensely generous philanthropist — having given well over $50M to just NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital + his alma maters Columbia Business School + MIT...

7/ in addition to innumerable other philanthropies now spearheaded by his wife Becky and daughter Laura.

But these accomplishments pale in comparison to Art’s living legacy...

8/ Seeing all those photos + videos of Art, surrounded by 1 child, then 2 sons and a daughter, then 7 grandkids — it couldn’t be clearer what matters most.

The measure of true wealth: all that LOVE.
It can’t be bought or borrowed––only be earned.
Art was loving and beloved...

9/ I first met Art 11yrs ago as he was winding down Pequot. I remember the surreal feeling coming onto the enormous full floor at 153 E 53rd Street that once housed hundreds of people, now entirely empty except for some memorabilia lining the perimeter of his N +W facing windows–

10/ I got to know Art + his son Jeff. I remember him sizing me up––almost like Larry David––with his wry wit.

And then Art gave me the most valuable thing that was his alone to give: a chance. That indelible blessing, a belief in me, to give me a shot...

11/ — on at least one major co we had a wild ride with some fun ups and downs with Art and Jeff by our side. It was a great success but more importantly it made an indelible impression and taught an inspired lesson to do the same for others...

12/ At his memorial, his kids held back tears, told funny stories and spoke lovingly and beautifully:

Joe of Art as a compassionate competitor and a force multiplier touching so many lives; Laura of Art’s lessons learned of getting knocked down and back up...

13/ and finding humor and humility when things don’t go as planned’; Jeff of Art’s instincts for markets and people, his optimism for the future and for people with big ambitions — and of giving them a chance...

14/ Beautifully/memorably: each grandkid took turns reading excerpts from countless letters, texts, video msgs that poured in from ppl he unforgettably impacted, mentored, employed, invested in, donated to, served as father figure, role model, inspired, encouraged — gave a chance

15/ I’m grateful to have known Art, to have spent time together and to have been given a chance — and to see the love for and from his kids and grandkids and especially Jeff who carries on that same mindset of being a mensch on a mission.

To Art…

16/ Some memories shared from other friends of his, investor legends, are beautiful.

From Lee Cooperman, Stan Druckenmiller, Dan Benton, Mark Kingdon...

17/ A public version of the last note i sent him