Why I'm Here

When the legendary Sir John Templeton first approached me to lead his new Templeton emerging markets group some 25 years ago, he taught me that if you want to be successful, you need to keep an open mind and step outside your comfort zone. As a result, I’ve developed a firm belief in getting out and kicking the tires, which has me on the road 250+ days a year visiting companies in almost every corner of the globe. Racking up over 30 million miles of flight time hasn’t been easy, but I would rather see with my own eyes what’s happening in a company or country. Lies can be as revealing as truth, if you know what the cues are. You have to observe and listen to the signals that will lead to a true understanding. This is one advantage of getting to know the people who run the show and visiting a factory or plant. You just won’t get the same type of rich insight by scanning cold, hard data or numbers.

One of the consequences of being featured in numerous media interviews, and having a Yul Brynner-esque shaved head, is that I often get recognized in airports and hotel lobbies during my travels. And as a portfolio manager, it’s natural for people to look to me for my investment insights. There is no simple secret, no single blueprint, no rigid roadmap that will guarantee you, me or anyone long-term success as a global investor. That said, there are important lessons to be learned, and one of those is to stick to your core philosophy and your convictions, whether in investing, or for that matter, in life.

My personal theory is that countries that make it easy for travelers to enter tend to be friendly to foreign investment. Whenever I visit a new country, my radar kicks in the moment I hop off the plane and pass through customs. It intensifies as we drive into town, check into the hotel, talk to the cab drivers, walk around the neighborhood and chat with the service staff in shops (the condition of the infrastructure is often a sign of economic efficiency). Obviously the world is a big place with a wide variety of countries, cultures, languages and industries. But no matter where they live, people are still people, not as dissimilar as you might expect.

Social media has proven to be a powerful messenger. In developing countries where youths are desperate to have their voices heard, I’ve witnessed first-hand how social media can lead to political and economic change. As a newly minted LinkedIn Influencer, I’m honored to be able to use this leading social platform to share my insights and connect in a more personal way, whether you are an investment professional, individual investor or knowledge-seeker.

I hope to share my personal observations about life as an investment manager, to give you a feeling for what I do and why, and to share some of my emerging markets travel adventures.

Stay tuned!

Photo: Visiting Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.

Important Legal Information

Dr. Mobius’s comments, opinions and analyses are for informational purposes only, may change without notice, and should not be considered individual investment advice or a recommendation to invest in any security or to adopt any investment strategy. Information contained herein is not a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region, or market. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Investments in foreign securities involve special risks including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments. Investments in emerging market countries involve heightened risks related to the same factors, in addition to those associated with these markets' smaller size, lesser liquidity and lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets.