Hedge fund may have had a tough year, on average – Amid political uncertainty, the debt-ceiling debate in Congress and mounting fears of a European financial crisis, the Eurekahedge index, which measures average returns, dropped 4.1 percent for the year – but that is just an average.

• Chase Coleman's Tiger Global Management had a stellar year, posting a 45% gain through mid-December, reports Barrons.
• Carl Icahn returned 35% in 2011.
• Jim Simons' Renaissance Technologies fared nearly as well in 2011, returning 34.1% last year.
• Ray Dalio's Bridgewater Associates gained 25% through the end of November.
• Ken Griffin's Citadel returned 20.4% in 2011.
• For David E. Shaw's D E Shaw, 2011 was a good year as well. Its flagship Oculus fund returned 18% last year.
• Philippe Laffont's Coatue gained 16.9% in the first 10 months of the year.
• John Thaler's JAT Capital was up 14% through mid-December.
• Steven Cohen's SAC Capital had a good year. Its flagship fund was up 8% through the end of November.
• Andreas Halvorsen's Viking Global was up 7.80% through December 23.
• Israel Englander's Millennium gained 7.46% through December 22.
• David Einhorn’s Greenlight was up 5% through the middle of December.
• Edward Mule's Silver Point Capital rose 4.54% in 2011, through mid-December.