UNC endowment returns 37.8% fueled by early SpaceX investment
The University of North Carolina's endowment returned an impressive 37.8% in the fiscal year that concluded on June 30, 2021, according to Bloomberg. This significant gain was more than double the estimated 18.9% median return for endowments managing more than $500 million, as determined by the Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service.
University of North Carolina Management Co. attributed the exceptional performance to a combination of factors, with global equities playing a key role. However, the standout contributor was the company's early investment in SpaceX, a company founded by Elon Musk. UNC made its initial investment in SpaceX over 15 years ago, with the initial stake being just a few million dollars.
The university sold approximately $1 billion worth of SpaceX shares ahead of the company's initial public offering (IPO). As of August, UNC still held more than $1 billion in SpaceX stock. The SpaceX shares closed at $152.71 on the trading day after the IPO, which was about 13% higher than the IPO price of $135, resulting in a market capitalization exceeding $2 trillion.
This success story highlights the potential advantages universities can gain from early investments in private technology companies before they go public. Other prominent U.S. university endowments may also report stronger returns for the fiscal year, contingent upon their investments in SpaceX and private artificial intelligence firms like OpenAI and Anthropic.
UNC's financial growth is particularly notable considering the financial challenges universities face, such as federal research funding cuts, a dwindling pool of prospective students, and reduced returns from certain private equity investments in recent years. Over the past three, five, and ten years, the endowment recorded annualized returns of 20.1%, 12.5%, and 13.5%, respectively.
University of North Carolina Management Co. administered a total of $17 billion as of June 30, 2021, including UNC-Chapel Hill's $8.2 billion endowment.
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