Michael Hintze

A finance career became the platform for CQS

Hintze was born in China to Russian parents, raised in Australia and served in the Australian Army before moving into finance. Forbes traces his billionaire wealth to the investment career he later built rather than to an inherited operating company or family fortune. ^[1]

After working in finance, Hintze founded London-based CQS in 1999. The firm became known for credit and multi-strategy investing, with Hintze's economics tied to his ownership of the management business and participation in investment profits rather than to client assets themselves. ^[1]

CQS expanded into a significant alternative-credit manager over the following decades. The scale of the funds increased the value of the management franchise, but assets managed for investors remained separate from Hintze's personal balance sheet. ^[1][2]

The Manulife sale converted part of the franchise into liquidity

Manulife Investment Management completed its acquisition of CQS in April 2024, buying the CQS brand and investment-management business. Forbes says Hintze then started Deltroit using his own capital, marking a shift from managing a large outside-capital platform toward a more personal investment vehicle. ^[2][1]

CQS assets under management and the value of securities held for clients should not be treated as Hintze's personal wealth. His fortune reflects the ownership, fees, investment gains and transaction value he accumulated by building the firm, together with capital he retained after the sale. ^[1][2]