LI’s James Simons’ $1.2 billion earnings put him at No. 2 in 2014 hedge fund ranking

The top 25 hedge fund managers earned $11.6 billion in compensation in 2014, an average of $400 million each, even as hedge funds overall posted a mediocre year.

A survey by trade publisher Institutional Investor’s Alpha magazine (Credit: Randee Daddona), known as the Rich List, found that the No. 2 top earner last year was James Simons, founder of Renaissance Technologies, at $1.2 billion in earnings. Simons no longer runs his firm on a day-to-day basis, Institutional Investor said. He is the only person to make the Rich List ranking all 14 years.

No. 4 Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management, was fourth on the list, earning $950 million in 2014. Ackman posted the highest gains among the managers on the Rich List. Pershing Square funds earned between 36% and 40.4% last year, the magazine said, helped in part by a bet on pharmaceuticals company Allegan Inc., which was sold last year to Irish rival Actavis.

No. 5 Israel (Izzy) Englander of Millenium Management right after Ackman with $900 million earning in 2014.

No. 7 Larry Robbins, of Glenview Capital Management with $570 million earning in 2014.

Many failed to qualify this year because they lost money in 2014. The list includes Omega Advisors’ Leon Cooperman, ESL Investments’ Edward Lampert and Paulson & Co.’s John Paulson.

Read the full list here

Out of the 25 top hedge fund managers in the US, 18 are Jewish: