Early Life
Kenneth Lawrence Fisher was born on November 29, 1950, in San Francisco, California. He is the son of Philip A. Fisher, a renowned stock investor and author of "Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits." Ken grew up in San Mateo, California. He dropped out of high school and earned an associate degree in economics from Humboldt State University in 1972.
Rise to Success
Ken Fisher started his career at his father's firm, Fisher & Co. In 1979, he founded Fisher Investments with just $250. The firm grew rapidly, managing over $300 billion in assets by 2024. Fisher served as CEO until 2016 and now holds the position of Executive Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer. He is recognized for his investment insights and his column in Forbes magazine from 1984 to 2017.
Key Business Strategies
Fisher Investments focuses on serving individual and institutional investors. The company has a top-down, global investment approach. Fisher Investments is known for its commitment to research and its pioneering use of the price-to-sales ratio. The firm has expanded globally with offices in multiple countries.
Philanthropy
Ken Fisher has also demonstrated commitment to philanthropy. In 2006, he contributed $3.5 million to endow the Kenneth L. Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology at Humboldt State. In 2012, Fisher and his wife gave $7.5 million to Johns Hopkins University to fund the Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Center for Environmental Infectious Diseases. He is also involved in other community-based initiatives.