Investors

Michael Platt, Billionaire Hedge Fund Manager, Moves to Dubai

Written by VentureVoyager

🌍 Who is Michael Platt?

Image Credit: Bloomberg

Michael Platt is the British billionaire co-founder and CEO of BlueCrest Capital Management, a hedge fund-turned-family office that manages his own and his partners’ wealth. He’s among the wealthiest hedge fund managers in the UK, with an estimated net worth of around £12.5 billion (fnlondon.com).

✈️ Why Move to Dubai?

Official Residency Shift (June 2025)

  • Platt recently updated his “state usually resident” from Jersey to the UAE, establishing Dubai as his primary residence (fnlondon.com).

Fully Licensed Trading Base

  • BlueCrest received full regulatory approval in Dubai in April 2025, allowing them to hire traders and trade locally (fnlondon.com).

  • This follows opening a Dubai office in 2022 — now complemented by the move of Platt and additional staff.

Tax Efficiency & Regulation

  • Dubai offers zero personal income tax and a favorable regulatory environment.

  • Platt has previously moved for similar reasons (Geneva → Jersey back in 2014) to optimize taxes and regulatory exposure (en.wikipedia.org).

Strategic Business Advantages

  • Dubai acts as a major hub for hedge funds, drawing capital from sovereign wealth funds and high-net-worth individuals in the Gulf region (fnlondon.com).

  • It provides a time-zone advantage for global trading, alongside cost efficiencies and robust infrastructure .

📊 Industry Context

  • Dubai is fast becoming a global hedge fund center, with firms like Millennium, Balyasny, ExodusPoint, Brevan Howard, and TCI also relocating staff and operations (gulfnews.com).

  • The appeal lies in low taxes, high-quality infrastructure, and proximity to growing financial capital in the Middle East (gulfnews.com).

✅ Summary

  • Residency moved to Dubai in mid-June 2025.

  • Purpose: align personally and professionally with BlueCrest’s expanding Dubai operation—leveraging tax benefits, regulatory approval, new market access, and time-zone/logistical advantages.

  • Part of a broader hedge fund migration pattern driven by Brexit, global tax arbitrage, and the rise of Middle East capital pools.