Goldman Sachs fund gets a $3 billion bailout

NEW YORK — Goldman Sachs Group said Monday it is leading a group of investors that includes Maurice "Hank" Greenberg and Eli Broad, sinking $3 billion into one of its biggest hedge funds which has seen its value plunge amid market volatility.

The investment bank said its Global Equity Opportunities fund "suffered significantly" as global markets sold off on worries about debt and credit. The fund lost about 28 percent in the past few weeks, dragging its value down to $3.6 billion, from about $5 billion last month.

Goldman Sachs will invest $2 billion. Other investors will contribute about $1 billion to the fund, whose computer-driven investment strategies were disrupted by triple-digit swings in the financial markets.

"This is not a rescue," said Goldman Chief Financial Officer David Viniar. "Given the dislocation in the market, we believe this is a good investment opportunity for us and other investors."

Joining Goldman in injecting more capital was former American International Group chairman Greenberg, and also Broad, a California real estate developer who helped found SunAmerica and later sold it to AIG. Hedge fund Perry Capital LLC, which is run by a former Goldman Sachs equity trader, is also among the investors.

In addition, the investment bank said that two other hedge funds it manages — Global Alpha and the North American Equities Opportunities Fund — have also suffered during the market dislocation. The Alpha fund, for instance, has lost 27 percent of its value — with more than half of that last week alone.

Viniar would not say if the bank was considering similar action for the other two funds, which combined are worth about $6.4 billion. He said Goldman has spent the past week reducing the risk and leverage for all three funds to stem losses.

The $2.7 trillion hedge fund industry uses investments from wealthy individuals and institutions to make bets on stocks and other securities using sophisticated investment strategies.

Hedge funds have been routed in the past few months as Wall Street has become much more volatile. Quantitative funds like Goldman Sachs', which rely on computer models to make investments, have taken a beating from triple-digit swings on Wall Street during the past few weeks.

Other quantitative funds run by firms, including AQR Capital Management LLC and Highbridge Capital Management LLC, may also have sustained heavy losses.