Jean-Pierre Aguilar (9 August 1960 — 4 July 2009) was a French entrepreneur. He is best known as the co-founder and chief executive of Capital Fund Management.
Jean-Pierre Aguilar studied engineering and computer science at the Grenoble Institute of Technology, before receiving his business degree from the HEC in Paris.[1][2]
He started his financial career in 1986, working for the brokerage firm LeGrand before leaving in 1988 to found the finance software company Ubitrade.[3][4]
In 1991, he co-founded Capital Fund Management, which rapidly grew into France's largest and most successful hedge fund.[5] In 1994, along with Jean-Philippe Bouchaud he set up the Science & Finance research society, which conducted scientific work on a consultancy basis, while working exclusively for CFM on financial research. In 2000, the two entities merged.[6]
In 2004, Aguilar sold Ubitrade to GL Trade for an undisclosed amount.[7]
On the morning of 4 July 2009, Aguilar died aged 49 during a gliding accident near the airport of Barcelonnette, a town in the French Alps. His co-pilot, Michel Fache, president of the local gliding club, also died in the crash.[1][4]
The succession plan set in place by Aguilar for Capital Fund Management was hailed as an example for corporate succession planning during emergencies.[8]