Key Takeaways
- • Salem Abraham, founder of Abraham Trading Company (established 1988), brings 30+ years of expertise in trend following and managed futures to institutional and alternative asset management discussions.
- • Abraham Trading Company manages portfolios for families, individuals, foundations, endowments, and institutions, operating the Fortress Fund specifically for endowment and institutional investors.
- • The re-released episode covers foundational trend following concepts, historical market events, and practical investment management philosophy drawn from Abraham's three-decade track record in the alternative investment space.
- • The conversation includes technical history relevant to systematic trading, including early electronic order transmission to the CME and the evolution of computer-generated trading strategies.
Summary
Salem Abraham is a veteran figure in the managed futures and trend following industries with more than three decades of professional experience. He founded Abraham Trading Company in 1988 as a research-driven investment management firm serving a diversified client base including high-net-worth families, individuals, charitable foundations, endowments, and institutional investors. The firm's flagship product, the Fortress Fund, is designed specifically for endowments and institutional capital.
This re-released episode, originally recorded several years prior to September 2026, consolidates Abraham's market observations and investment philosophy across a range of topics relevant to alternative asset managers. The discussion spans trend following methodology, historical case studies from commodity and financial markets, and the practical realities of managing systematic investment strategies. Abraham addresses technical market infrastructure history, including the early adoption of electronic order transmission to the CME—a significant development in the evolution of computerized trading systems.
The conversation touches on market extremes and tail risk scenarios, including the question of how far certain commodities can decline, as well as broader themes in portfolio construction and diversification. Abraham's narrative incorporates both technical investment concepts and contextual anecdotes from his career navigating various market environments. The episode also references T. Boone Pickens' memoir "The First Billion Is The Hardest," suggesting connections between entrepreneurial capital formation and systematic investing approaches.
For institutional investors and family offices evaluating managed futures strategies, Abraham's perspective reflects the practical experience of managing alternative portfolios through multiple market cycles and regulatory regimes. The Fortress Fund structure indicates a specific focus on the endowment and institutional mandate, a key segment of the alternative investment market that increasingly allocates to diversified systematic strategies.
This re-released episode, originally recorded several years prior to September 2026, consolidates Abraham's market observations and investment philosophy across a range of topics relevant to alternative asset managers. The discussion spans trend following methodology, historical case studies from commodity and financial markets, and the practical realities of managing systematic investment strategies. Abraham addresses technical market infrastructure history, including the early adoption of electronic order transmission to the CME—a significant development in the evolution of computerized trading systems.
The conversation touches on market extremes and tail risk scenarios, including the question of how far certain commodities can decline, as well as broader themes in portfolio construction and diversification. Abraham's narrative incorporates both technical investment concepts and contextual anecdotes from his career navigating various market environments. The episode also references T. Boone Pickens' memoir "The First Billion Is The Hardest," suggesting connections between entrepreneurial capital formation and systematic investing approaches.
For institutional investors and family offices evaluating managed futures strategies, Abraham's perspective reflects the practical experience of managing alternative portfolios through multiple market cycles and regulatory regimes. The Fortress Fund structure indicates a specific focus on the endowment and institutional mandate, a key segment of the alternative investment market that increasingly allocates to diversified systematic strategies.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.