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Raymond Thomas Dalio is an American billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist. Better known as Ray Dalio, he founded the investment management fund Bridgewater Associates in 1975. Dalio’s tryst with the world of investment started when he, as a 12-year-old, bought shares worth $300 of the Northeast Arline, an investment that tripled after a merger. After completing his MBA from the Harvard Business School, Dalio worked in New York’s Wall Street. Eventually, choosing to make it on his own, he launched Bridgewater Associates from his apartment in 1975. Though he barely had any expertise in managing money, Ray Dalio’s market briefings were impressive enough to lock in some of the firm’s first major investors.

Ray Dalio is world famous for his management theory of ‘radical transparency’, advocating for complete honesty and accountability. He is also a subscriber of Transcendental Meditation, a specific form of silent mantra meditation and has endeavoured to imbibe the practice within the workings of his firm. His philosophy rests on people’s ability to be honest in their workspaces and be able to bring to notice issues, regardless of their nature and without worrying about a backlash. Dalio argues that a person is predominantly obstructed by their own fragile ego and he has worked to enable a working environment wherein critiques were not taken as a personal insult and no individual hesitated to forward an idea or opinion for fear of being wrong. Dalio codified his philosophies and thoughts on life, work and the pursuit of greatness in a 110-page manifesto titled ‘Principles’ and that is the book of law as far as his firm is concerned.

Not only known for his genius in investment management, Ray Dalio is also committed to making the world a better place for vulnerable populations. Channelling his dedication to philanthropy, Dalio Philanthropies, also known as the Dalio Foundation, was founded in 2003 by Ray and Barbara Dalio. It is a private charitable foundation that gives over $100 million in grants annually to non-profits. The foundation gives its largest funds to elite universities, scientific research projects, and general charities.

Giving and contributing to charity is looked upon as a family activity for the Dalio family. Dalio Philanthropies’ grants are varied in nature, offering support to organisations at all stages of development. Their diverse philanthropic interests include - public education in Connecticut, ocean exploration and awareness, environmental protection, investing in technology access and education, meditation, financial inclusion, child welfare and capacity building in China and promoting community and the arts - among other things. The Dalios have also joined Bill Gate’s and Warren Buffer’s Giving Pledge, by which they have vowed to donate more than half their fortune throughout their lifetime.

Dalio Philanthropies has made donations worth of millions of dollars to the David Lynch Foundation, promoting and sponsoring research on Transcendental Meditation, as well as to the National Philanthropic Trust, polio-eradication programmes and to Fund for Teachers. The Foundation also offered their support to the 2018 launch of TED’s Audacious Project, an initiative to fund social entrepreneurs endeavouring to solve global issues.

Ray Dalio and his journey of life and business serve as an inspiration for one and all. From the young age of 12, he showed an affinity and genius for investment management. Recognising his abilities and worth, he showed great courage when he founded Bridgewater Associates, now one of the largest hedge funds in the world. His ideas and thoughts on work styles and culture are progressive to say the least. In a world where most work environments are emerging as toxic and detrimental to growth, Dalio and his firm appear to offer an environment where one can experience effective professional growth and development.

In addition to his genius in investment management, Dalio has also shown the way to combine one’s business interest and civic responsibility. While he propagates an effective business strategy, his dedication to philanthropy has impacted the lives of several communities positively across the world. His life presents to us a clear roadmap to success. The path he chose was never supposed to be easy but the path to success has never been known to be easy either. Nonetheless, Dalio endeavoured and pursued his passion, gaining and increasing his success as he went along. In a world that seems to be crumbling on all ends, Dalio inspires us to be better and to do better.