On January 29th in Miami, I had the privilege of attending the second annual Universa Investments boat cruise as a guest of Alex Dancy from Lionscrest Advisors.
The initial discussion took place during the cocktail hour on the splendid deck of the vessel.
The Mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez effectively promoted Miami as a favorable alternative to New York City for finance professionals.
Regrettably, the temperature dropped on the deck, prompting us to relocate to the lower level for dinner earlier than planned.
The cuisine offered was exceptional, featuring a selection of steak, fish, and pasta dishes.
I had conversations with some individuals in the mortgage industry, Nassim Taleb, and the Chief Researcher at Universa, Ronald Lognado.
Mr. Lognado is originally from Illinois, and currently lives near Las Vegas, but is considering moving back to the Midwest. He mentioned staying in touch, and I found that gesture thoughtful.
After dinner, Nassim Taleb took to the small stage for an interview with Sonali from Bloomberg News.
The topic was discussing the best places to try squid ink pasta. Just kidding! Nassim is a big fan of squid ink pasta, so I’m eager to give it a try myself.
Sonali had a few questions about the economy and shared his concerns about the risks we are currently facing.
The conversation wasn’t particularly thrilling, but he did express his belief in China’s growing power, which he hadn’t mentioned previously. He also pointed out the US’s significant challenge with budget deficits.
I don’t think Bloomberg was interested in hearing about power law probability distributions or the problem with Value at Risk.
After the presentation, I had a couple of gin and tonics. I stayed until the end, but ended up chatting with another group who invited me to join them at the Sexy Fish restaurant. It was nice to have some company to hang out with after the event.
Thank you to Max for treating us to the drinks.
I stayed in Miami for two additional nights at a hotel located in Coconut Grove.
After spending the afternoon exploring Miami Beach, I decided to stop by a wine bar for the evening. While there, a friendly woman sitting next to me kindly offered to share her risotto. In return, I bought her a glass of wine as a gesture of gratitude.
If I wasn’t significantly younger than her, I might have considered asking for her phone number.
On the last day, I met Iwan Gulenko, a Ukrainian native who was temporarily staying in Miami with his family. We shared a meal of pizza and engaged in a conversation about global current affairs. It was insightful to hear from someone with a firsthand perspective on the complexities between Russia and Ukraine.
Iwan kindly gave me a ride to the airport. If you’re in need of a job, consider reaching out to him as he works as a recruiter. Thank you, Iwan!
I hope to return next year