Alternative investments vs. mutual funds

Alternative investment powerhouse Fortress Investment Group has filed to sell initial shares to the public, aiming to raise $750 million. That, of course, means it has to disclose more financial information than is typical for a hedge fund or private equity fund. Clearly, it's making a lot of money, and the principals will get very rich if the offering happens as expected. Last year, the group had revenue of more than $1 billion, earned $192.7 million and paid out $259.2 million in compensation. The New York Times compare it with BlackRock Financial, which manages $452 billion in assets, 17 times as much as Fortress. In 2005, it generated the same revenue and about the same profit. Fortress has 500 employees vs. BlackRock's 1,752.

For more on Fortress:
- Here's the article from The New York Times