Richard Perry is an American hedge fund manager and the founder of Perry Capital LLC, a New York-based investment firm established in 1988. The firm specialized in event-driven and activist strategies, growing to manage over $15 billion in assets at its peak. Perry gained significant attention for Perry Capital's large stakes in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after the 2008 financial crisis, where he actively challenged the U.S. government's conservatorship and pushed for shareholder rights and privatization. In 2014, Elliott Management sued Perry Capital and Perry personally over an alleged breach of contract in a financing deal involving tw telecom inc., highlighting rivalries among top hedge funds. Perry wound down the fund in 2016 after 28 years, transitioning to philanthropy and board roles. Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, Perry graduated from Brown University and built a career in finance before launching his firm. He has been a prominent Democratic donor, contributing to campaigns of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and others. Perry serves on the board of the New York City Ballet, where he and his wife, fashion designer Lisa Perry, are major supporters of arts and culture in New York society. His influence extends through personal networks in finance, politics, and philanthropy.