Jeffrey Vinik

Vinik was born to a Jewish family[3] in Deal, New Jersey.[4] He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University in 1981 with a bachelor of science in civil engineering.[5] He also obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1985.

Vinik managed the Fidelity Magellan Fund from 1992 to 1996, where he averaged 17% annual returns.[6] After leaving Fidelity, he started hedge fund Vinik Asset Management, with partners including Michael Gordon (now President of Fenway Sports Group). He made investors 93.8% in his first 11 months and approximately 50% a year for the next three years. At the end of 2000, Vinik returned investors $4.2 billion and focused on managing his own portfolio.[4] Vinik and his partners closed down the fund in December 2013, and distributed $9 billion in assets.

In 2010, he purchased the Tampa Bay Lightning from Oren Koules and Len Barrie for $170 million.[7] In January 2011, he purchased the Tampa Bay Storm.[8] The Storm folded in December 2017.[9]

In 1998, Vinik and his wife, Penny, donated $1.25 million to endow a professorship at Duke's engineering school. The next year, they donated $5 million towards facilities at the engineering school.[10] In 2012, they donated $10 million to create a challenge fund to endow associate and full professorships dedicated to addressing complex societal challenges.[11] He donated $1.5 million to build a new Jewish Community Center in South Tampa.[3][12][13] With his wife, he also donated to Vanderbilt University in 2016-2017.[14]