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Hedge Fund VARA Plunges 33% in Brutal October for AI Stocks

Reported by Bloomberg ·Hedgeweek ·Livemint
Nov 5, 2026· 1 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Value Aligned Research Advisors (VARA), a hedge fund heavily invested in the AI trade, fell 33% in October as AI stocks faced a sharp reversal.
  • • VARA ran a portfolio similar to Leopold Aschenbrenner's Situational Awareness fund, according to Bloomberg.
  • • The fund told Class C investors it remained up 13% for the year, per a person familiar with the matter.
  • • VARA fell 44% in July, a larger monthly loss than October's decline.
Summary
Value Aligned Research Advisors, a hedge fund that has been all-in on artificial intelligence stocks, lost 33% in October as those shares faced a painful reckoning, according to Bloomberg. The decline marked a second steep monthly drop for the firm this year, following a 44% plunge in July.

The fund has operated a portfolio similar to that of Situational Awareness, the investment vehicle associated with Leopold Aschenbrenner. Despite the recent losses, VARA told investors holding Class C shares that the fund was still up 13% for the year, based on information from a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the discussion involved non-public information.

The reported figures highlight the concentration risk faced by managers with heavy exposure to a single investment theme. The sources did not provide details on the fund's total assets under management, specific holdings, or investor redemptions.

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Sources

3 outlets

AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

Bloomberg Hedge Fund VARA Plunges 33% in Brutal October for AI Stocks Hedgeweek AI-focused hedge fund VARA plunges 33% in October selloff Livemint Hedge Fund VARA Plunges 33% in Brutal October for AI Stocks