Robert Luciano has resigned from VGI Partners, the hedge fund he founded over 15 years ago, which went on to become one of Australia's best know alternative investment management firms, according to a report by The Australian Financial Review.

VGI merged with long-short investment specialist Regal Funds Management last year to create Regal Partners, following a post-Covid slump in both performance and share price, and the departure of high-profile VGI staff including executive and head of research Doug Tynan.

Luciano, who earned a reputation for high-conviction stock picks and aggressive short positions, retains large stakes in Regal Partners, VGI and the rebranded Regal Asian Investments fund.

At its pre-Covid peak, VGI’s assets under management stood at around AUD3.5bn and the firm had accrued annualised returns of around 15 per cent.