Hedge Fund and Insider Trading News: Crispin Odey, Jericho Capital Asset Management, Cantab Capital Partners, Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Assured Guaranty Ltd. (AGO), and More

Odey Verdict Shows Challenges of Decades-Old Assault Cases (Bloomberg)
British prosecutors pursuing an indecent-assault case against Crispin Odey wavered before ultimately deciding to charge the hedge fund chief. Just before the high-profile money manager was found not guilty Thursday, Odey’s lawyers told a London judge that officials had considered dropping the case that was based on allegations made by a former investment banker.

WisdomTree Files to Launch a US Bitcoin ETF, Joining a Growing List of Firms Seeking SEC Approval (Business Insider)
WisdomTree is the latest firm to submit filings for a bitcoin ETF to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The New York-based exchange traded fund sponsor and asset manager filed an S-1 on Thursday to list the WisdomTree Bitcoin Trust on the Cboe BZX Exchange. The ETF aims to provide investors with exposure to the price of bitcoin and would trade under the ticker symbol “BTCW.”

Jericho Targets Private Companies With New Fund (Institutional Investor)
The tech-driven hedge fund firm has branched into a new strategy. Jericho Capital Asset Management has embraced private investments.The technology-driven hedge fund firm, headed by Josh Resnick, has launched Jericho Growth Fund I, according to a regulatory filing. The growth equity fund will invest in private companies, according to an investor.Little else is known about the fund.

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Ewan Kirk to Exit GAM Systematic as Assets Slump (Financial News)
The founder of Cantab Capital Partners, which was acquired by GAM in 2016, is leaving the asset manager at the end of the month. Ewan Kirk, founder of the Cantab Capital Partners hedge fund business which was bought by GAM in 2016, is leaving the Swiss asset manager at the end of the month, Financial News can reveal. Kirk, who serves as president of GAM Systematic, is leaving to pursue other opportunities, which include philanthropic work and non-executive director roles.

Stanley Druckenmiller, Bill Ackman are Among the Big Early Investors in Hot IPO Coupang (CNBC)
Billionaire investors Stanley Druckenmiller and Bill Ackman were early backers of Coupang. The South Korean e-commerce giant nearly doubled from its initial public offering price shortly after Thursday’s midday open. Coupang raised $4.6 billion in its IPO, the largest one in the U.S. so far this year.