# David Sternberg

> David Sternberg is a Chicago investment adviser, former CBOE market-maker, and co-founder and CEO of Vivaldi Capital Management. A disciplined hedging habit helped his 20-trader group navigate the 1987 crash, and the same attention to downside risk later shaped Iron Partners and Vivaldi's blend of traditional wealth management with alternative investments. In April 2026, Corient announced an agreement to acquire Vivaldi, which reported $5.6 billion in assets under management at year-end 2025.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Vivaldi Capital Management
- **Organizations:** Vivaldi Capital Management, Corient, Iron Partners LLC, FGMK/Preservation Capital Partners LLC, Chicago Board Options Exchange, University of Iowa
- **Education:** BA in Marketing, University of Iowa
- **Known for:** Built and led a 20-trader CBOE group that was protected during the 1987 market crash., Co-founded Iron Partners, an alternative-investment fund-of-funds business later sold in 2007., Co-founded Vivaldi Capital Management in 2012 and helped grow it to $5.641 billion in regulatory assets under management by year-end 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1981** — Graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in Marketing.
- **1982** — Visited the CBOE after a chance invitation and began work on the floor, first as a runner and later as a spread-trading market-maker.
- **1987** — Led a 20-trader group whose hedging discipline enabled it to make money during the October market crash.
- **1996** — Retired from active floor trading at age 37, then returned to investment work after roughly six months.
- **1999** — Co-founded Iron Partners LLC, an alternative-investment fund-of-funds business.
- **2007** — Iron Partners' fund-of-funds business was sold to the founders of a private-equity firm.
- **2009-2011** — Served as a partner at FGMK/Preservation Capital Partners LLC.
- **2012** — Co-founded SEC-registered Vivaldi Capital Management with Randal Golden.
- **2025** — Vivaldi reported $4.647 billion in regulatory assets under management as of December 31, 2024.
- **2026** — Corient announced an agreement to acquire Vivaldi, which reported $5.641 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025.

## Achievements

- Built and led a 20-trader CBOE group that was protected during the 1987 market crash.
- Co-founded Iron Partners, an alternative-investment fund-of-funds business later sold in 2007.
- Co-founded Vivaldi Capital Management in 2012 and helped grow it to $5.641 billion in regulatory assets under management by year-end 2025.
- Helped develop a wealth-management model combining traditional portfolios and planning with direct access to alternative investments.
- Negotiated lower investment minimums with alternative managers to broaden access for Vivaldi clients.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Vivaldi's website announced that Vivaldi Capital Management is now Corient.
- **2026-04** — Corient announced an agreement to acquire Vivaldi Capital Management, adding $5.6 billion in client assets; Vivaldi's principals were expected to become Corient partners upon closing.
- **2026-04** — Vivaldi's Form ADV reported $5,641,138,588 in assets under management as of December 31, 2025.
- **2025-02** — Appeared in the inaugural Journeys to the Summit interview to discuss his CBOE career, risk discipline, Iron Partners, and the creation of Vivaldi.

## Links

- Website: https://www.vivaldicap.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-sternberg-5ba74157
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vivaldicap
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JourneystotheSummit

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/david-sternberg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-24