Dmitry Balyasny

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SOURCE OF WEALTH: Balyasny Asset Management (BAM)

FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Policy, Jewish causes

OVERVIEW: Through his Balyasny Foundation and recently-founded Mark's Legacy Foundation, Dmitry Balyasny supports select education and youth outfits, as well as conservative policy organizations. Much of his philanthropy centers around the Chicago area and New York City.

According to available tax filings, the Balyasny Foundation awarded $472,000 in grants in 2017 and Mark’s Legacy Foundation awarded $71,500 in grants in 2018.

BACKGROUND: Dmitry Balyasny began his trading career with Schonfeld Securities in 1994, and has been an active investor in hedge funds since 1999. He founded Balyasny Asset Management in 2001.

ISSUES:

EDUCATION & YOUTH: Dmitry Balyasny serves on the board of Teach for America-Chicago, and steadily supports TFA national efforts via his Balyasny Foundation. From 2008 to 20015, the foundation awarded TFA nearly $1.9 million in grants. Other grantees have included One Goal, Chicago Collegiate Charter School, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Students for Liberty, and the Roycemore School.

POLICY: Balyasny is on the board of the Chicago chapter of the Ayn Rand Institute, which he has supported through his foundation with close to $800,000 in grants from 2009 to 2016. He has also supported groups like Institute for Justice and the Cato Institute.

JEWISH CAUSES: Balyasny has supported Le Zion B’rina Institute, a boys’ school in Israel that caters to students from the former Soviet Union. From 2010 to 2015, the foundation awarded the Le' Zion B’rina Institute nearly $30,000 in grants.

OTHER: Other grantees include Chicago organizations like A Better Chicago,  a nonprofit venture philanthropy fund for the Chicago metropolitan area. He has also supported Wounded Warrior Project.

LOOKING FORWARD: Balyasny keeps a low profile and has not said much publicly about what drives his giving. His board memberships are something to keep an eye on, though.

CONTACT:

The Balyasny Foundation and Mark's Legacy Foundation do not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch with the couple but below is contact information:

Balyasny Foundation
135 E. 57th Street, 27th Floor
New York, NY 10022

Mark's Legacy Foundation
1933 N. Burling St.
Chicago, IL 60614

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