Here are under-the-radar hedge fund managers who crushed 2020, including a new launch from an former Viking Global portfolio manager and a comeback from a one-time Goldman partner

<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5ff73306d184b30018aad85c-1000/Dinakar Singh by Jin Lee.jpg" border="0" alt="Dinakar Singh" data-mce-source="Jin Lee/Bloomberg" data-mce-caption="Axon Capital founder Dinakar Singh"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>For big-name managers, 2020 went either very well or very poorly.&nbsp;</p><p>Quants such as Renaissance Technologies, Winton Group, and Bridgewater Associates struggled, losing double-digits in their multi-billion-dollar funds. On the other end of the spectrum, concentrated stock-pickers like Coatue Management, Pershing Square, and D1 Capital all made more than 50% on the yearled by billionaire Bill Ackman's 70.2% blockbuster performance, while macro managers like Brevan Howard and Andrew Law's Caxton had resurgent years, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-30/human-run-hedge-funds-trounce-quants-in-year-defined-by-pandemic'sref=pShhn61A">according to Bloomberg</a>.</p><p>Multi-strategy managers mostly performed well also, as Institutional Investor <a href="https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b1pzx56lrb7fv2/Steve-Cohen-Rides-Point72-Gains-to-1-4-Billion-in-Personal-Earnings'utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_term=editorial&amp;utm_content=4382914569&amp;utm_campaign=editorial&amp;utm_medium=social%20media%20organic">reported</a> Point72 founder Steve Cohen personally made at least $1.4 billion on the back of his firm's 16% returns in 2020. Dmitry Balyasny's eponymous firm, Ken Griffin's Citadel, and Nick Maounis' Verition all were on track to return at least 20% for 2020 These all lapped the returns of Hedge Fund Research's Global Hedge Fund index, which finished the year up 6.81%.&nbsp;</p><p>But there are also plenty of under-the-radar managers, with varied backgrounds and strategies, with explosive numbers in a chaotic year.&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong>See more: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hedge-fund-managers-to-watch-2021-coatue-bridgewater-launches-emerging-2020-12">The 12 hedge funds to watch in 2021: big names, new launches, and under-the-radar managers</a></em></p><p>Industry sources pointed Business Insider to names like <a href="https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b1mhgtsh5n148r/a-second-act-for-dinakar-singh-s-axon-capital">Dinakar Singh</a>, the former Goldman Sachs partner who runs Axon Capital, and $12 billion Whale Rock, a technology-media-telecomms investor run by Alex Sacerdote; both funds returned more than 70% for the year in their flagship funds. Whale Rock's long-only fundwhich launched in January and runs $3.4 billionreturned more than 86% in its first year of trading.<img style="float:right;" src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5ff73432d184b30018aad870-400/Alex Sacerdote via Twitter.jpg" border="0" alt="Alex Sacerdote" width="303" height="227" data-mce-source="Twitter" data-mce-caption="Whale Rock Capital Management founder Alex Sacerdote"></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dan-sundheim-profile-d1-viking-billionaire-net-worth-bio-performance-2020-10'r=d1-teaser">Like D1</a> and Coatue, Whale Rock has been a major player in the private markets as well, putting $400 million into start-ups last year, according to industry sources, including fintech unicorns like Chime and Divvy.&nbsp;</p><p>For Singh, it's adding to his rising-from-the-ashes story. He originally founded his fund with private equity giant TPG in 2005 and grew it to more than $13 billion before his performance slumped and investors withdrew, including his original backer. Two years ago, he relaunched, with 17% returns in 2019.&nbsp;</p><p>London-based Cheyne Capital, founded by Morgan Stanley alums in 2000, saw its Thematic Equity fund put up a big year, sources said, returning 36.5%.&nbsp;</p><p>Betting on COVID-resilient sectors was the big driver for $280 million Marlowe Partners last year, according to sources. The manager, run by Appaloosa alum Eric Udoff and former Soros senior analyst David Steinberg, made 37.1% last yearincluding 7.6% in December aloneoff the backs of sectors like video games and pet healthcare, and re-opened for outside capital for the first time in two years last month.&nbsp;</p><p>In a year marked with volatility, managers like Andrew Senderfounder of Sender Company &amp; Partnerswere able to profit. The former SAC portfolio manager who has started several hedge funds of his own made 69.4% in his $135 million Global Volatility Voyager fund, industry sources said.&nbsp;</p><p>In the fixed-income relative value space, where big names like BlueCrest <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citadels-relative-value-losses-last-week-wiped-nearly-all-gains-2020-3">were hit hard</a> during the pandemic's US start, Garda Capital Partnersrun by Black River alums Jeff Drobny, Tim Magnusson, and Robert Goedkenmade 22.6% in its $6.5 billion fund. That figure was the second-best mark in the fund's 17-year history, sources said.&nbsp;</p><p>New launches <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hedge-fund-launches-ground-to-a-halt-by-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-3">last year were harder to come by</a>, as the pandemic shut down in-person fundraising roadshows and networking conferences, but there was at least one notable performance that came from a new fund: Former Viking Global portfolio manager Mina Faltas launched equity-focused Washington Harbour in May, and finished the year up 90% with $500 million in assets, sources said.&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong>See more: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-tree-shows-how-many-tiger-cub-hedge-funds-there-are-2019-12">THE TRUE TIGER KING: Inside the sprawling web of billionaire Julian Robertson, whose legendary Tiger Management has helped spawn hundreds of new hedge funds</a></em></p><p>Big-name activists <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wachtell-lipton-warns-activists-are-taking-advantage-of-cheaper-stocks-2020-4">made plenty of news last year</a>, including billionaire Dan Loeb has made waves recently <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/third-point-calls-on-intel-to-explore-strategic-alternatives-11609267235">by calling on</a> Intel to make sweeping changes, including potential sales, and his Third Point made more than 10% in 2020a big turnaround after his portfolio was down nearly 8% after the first quarter. Some smaller activist investors though finished with even more impressive 2020s.&nbsp;</p><p>Engaged Capital, a California-based activist that runs $1 billion, returned more than 50% last year, while Blackwells Capital finished 2020 up 31% after a 10% jump in March, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hedgfunds-blackwells/activist-blackwells-up-20-in-first-quarter-firm-plans-taking-in-client-capital-idUSKCN21Q31T">industry sources said</a>. Blackwells, originally created in 2016 out of the family office of founder Jason Aintabi, opened to outside capital for the first time this year.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hedge-fund-managers-to-watch-2021-coatue-bridgewater-launches-emerging-2020-12" >The 12 hedge funds to watch in 2021: big names, new launches, and under-the-radar managers</a></strong></p><p><strong>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coatue-quant-fund-philippe-laffont-performance-data-science-2020-11" >Inside the rapid rise and fall of Coatue's quant fund: How a 23-year-old Wharton wunderkind seized power, alienated employees, and blew a $350 million opportunity</a></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/under-the-radar-hedge-funds-crushed-2020-performance-2021-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/literacy-test-louisiana-disenfranchise-black-vote-2016-6">We took a 1964 Louisiana literacy test and failed spectacularly</a></p>
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