AI power couple marries in Carmel after groom's hedge fund nearly collapses

Published Jul 31, 09:01 PM UTC

Leopold Aschenbrenner, known as the 'Nostradamus of AI,' married Avital Balwit, chief of staff to Anthropic's CEO, in Carmel, California, days after his hedge fund, Situational Awareness, nearly collapsed. The fund, which had grown to $45 billion through leveraged bets on AI-related stocks like CoreWeave and SK Hynix, suffered a 30% drop in those stocks due to a 'black swan' event and short-selling by rivals. Aschenbrenner was forced to sell assets, including a failed attempt to sell a $3.5 billion stake in Anthropic. He ultimately sold the bulk of his public portfolio to Citadel at a discount, paying off lenders and leaving the fund with $10 billion. The fund was down 67% for the month but up 80% for the year. The wedding, a lavish affair with a colloquium and ceremony at a Tuscan-style villa, proceeded as planned.