Abu Dhabi is pulling another big name off Wall Street, and this one is a serious power move. Caesar Maasry, a seasoned banker with 19 years at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. under his belt, is reportedly set to cross the desert and join Lunate Capital, the fast-rising Abu Dhabi investment firm. According to a source close to the firm who asked not to be named given the confidentiality involved, Maasry will step in as Head of Investment Research once he wraps up his garden leave.
From Goldman Sachs To The Gulf
Maasry is no newcomer to the game. He joined Goldman Sachs as an analyst back in 2005, climbed steadily through the ranks, and was promoted to managing director in 2017 on the strength of his expertise. Most recently he served as Head of Emerging-Market Cross-Asset Research. Employees typically wait roughly a month of garden leave after their contract ends before joining a competitor, and Maasry is expected to start at Lunate next month once that period is served. Neither Maasry nor Goldman Sachs commented when approached, while a Lunate Capital representative did not respond to inquiries.
Inside Abu Dhabi's $105 Billion Powerhouse
Lunate Capital, which reported $105 billion in assets under management as of March, is already emerging as a major force in Abu Dhabi's investment scene. The firm, backed by Abu Dhabi's heavyweight fund ADQ, spreads its expertise across private equity, venture capital, private credit, real assets, public equity and public credit. Bringing in a Goldman heavyweight underlines Lunate's push to sharpen its investment research, and the capital's rising dominance in global financial markets. Bloomberg News first reported the move.
