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Temasek’s FTX Investment: A Cautionary Tale of Poor Judgement


In short: Temasek Holdings, overseer of Singaporean government investments, is responsible for the second-largest investment into FTX. Temasek's initial investment of $275 million was worth 0.09% of its investment portfolio before FTX's collapse. Subsequently, Temasek completely wrote off its investment and performed an internal investigation. Other investment firms such as Sequoia Capital, Softbank, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan wrote off investments into FTX as well. Temasek's internal investigation showed no misconduct on its side, but the auditors highlighted FTX's intentional hiding of information crucial for investors. Temasek's investment team and senior management have taken full responsibility for the investment and have had their compensation reduced.

Our quick analysis:
Temasek Holdings, a private company solely owned by the Singaporean government, has been in the news lately due to its poor investment judgement. The company had invested $275 million in FTX, which was worth 0.09% of its total investment portfolio worth around $304 billion. Unfortunately, the platform collapsed, and Temasek had to write off its investment entirely.

In the aftermath, Temasek conducted an internal investigation to avoid any further damage to its reputation. While other investment firms, including Sequoia Capital, Softbank, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, wrote off their investments as well, Temasek's investment was the most significant. FTX still owes various creditors around $52 billion, with $44 billion of these claims recently filed by the IRS.

Temasek’s internal auditors concluded that no misconduct was detected on their side. Still, critical information that should have been made available to investors, including Temasek, had been hidden by FTX. The failed investment significantly damaged Temasek Holdings’ reputation, as admitted by the company's Chairman, Lin Boon Heng.

The investment team and senior management who greenlit the investment reportedly took full responsibility for their poor judgement, resulting in a reduction in their compensation. Although Temasek declined to comment on the exact amount of compensation cut from its employees' payroll, it's clear that the ill-fated investment in FTX has cost them dearly.

In conclusion, Temasek’s FTX investment serves as a cautionary tale for investors to exercise due diligence before investing in anything. Poor judgement, lack of transparency and fraudulent conduct can harm investors and damage reputations. Temasek’s internal investigation shows that it’s not enough to conduct due diligence for investments, but transparency and truthfulness are also vital for making informed decisions.

Image provided by Unsplash
Disclaimer: Our articles are NOT financial advice, and we are not financial advisors. Your investments are your own responsibility. Please do your own research and seek advice from a licensed financial advisor beforehand if needed.

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