Outspoken hedge-fund manager Ray Dalio isn't shy about sharing his opinions with employees and clients. Now he's sharing them in the form of an 85-page document called "Principles" with the world via the Dealbreaker blog.
The 60-year-old founder of Bridgewater Associates outlines 295 rules to live by -- with 67 footnotes and yellow highlighting. Bridgewater, based in Westport, Conn., with nearly 1,000 employees, is one of the largest hedge funds in the U.S. and has made no secret of its culture of continuous improvement.
Dalio's "Principles" document is must-reading for anyone interviewing at the firm. Or most anyone interested in pursuing or advancing in a financial-services career. As the WSJ.com DealJournal blog put it: it's a chance to read the collected thoughts of "a multi-billionaire who founded the nation's second-largest hedge fund."
Principle No. 1: "Think and act in a principled way and expect others to do as well."
The list gets more interesting from there. Our favorite:
No. 11: "Never say anything about a person you wouldn't say to him directly. If you do, you're a slimy weasel."
UPDATE: Here is the latest version of "Principles" released by the company.
Write to Laura Lorber