
Managed Yale's endowment as chief investment officer from 1985 until his death in May 2021.
Pioneering Portfolio Management defined the endowment model that institutional investors worldwide copied, and Unconventional Success is its counterpart argument for individuals.
2 books of their own · 21 letters
How the Yale endowment invests, and how institutions can build portfolios like it.
“As David Swensen wrote in his excellent book, "Pioneering Portfolio Management” — Howard Marks
Source: Oaktree memo 'Risk'
Recommended by: Howard Marks, Marc Andreessen and 2 others
Subtitled A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment.
“Be sure to also pick up a copy of his book for individual investors— Unconventional Success” — Marc Andreessen
Source: The truth about venture capitalists (Part 3), blog.pmarca.com
Recommended by: Marc Andreessen, Mohnish Pabrai
Pioneering Portfolio Management | How the Yale endowment invests, and how institutions can build portfolios like it. | 2000 | T4 | Howard Marks, Marc Andreessen, Mohnish Pabrai and 1 others |
Unconventional Success | Subtitled A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment. | 2005 | T4 | Marc Andreessen, Mohnish Pabrai |
| Two lesser-known factors behind David Swensen’s success at Yale Paywall | Financial Times | 2025 |
| David Swensen, Who Revolutionized Endowment Investing, Dies at 67 Paywall | The New York Times | 2021 |
| What David Swensen gave to Yale | Yale Alumni Magazine | 2021 |
| How David Swensen Made Yale Fabulously Rich Paywall | Bloomberg Businessweek | 2019 |
| David Swensen’s guide to sleeping soundly | Yale Alumni Magazine | 2009 |
| For Yale’s Money Man, a Higher Calling Paywall | The New York Times | 2007 |