Office address: Dimensional Place, 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One Austin, TX 78746 USA
Website: www.dimensional.com/us-en/financial-professionals
Year established: 1981
Company type: investment firm, financial services provider, lender
Employees: 1600+ worldwide
Expertise: finance, investment management
Parent company: N.A.
CEO and key people: Dave Butler and Gerard K. O’Reilly, co-CEOs
Financing status: N.A.
Dimensional Fund Advisors is a global investment firm that has been applying academic research to investment solutions. The firm was founded in 1981 by David Booth and Rex Sinquefield and is headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA. Today, Dimensional Fund Advisors has around US$634B in assets under management and offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.
David Booth and Rex Sinquefield first met as graduate students in economics at the University of Chicago. They started Dimensional Fund Advisors in 1981, working out of David Booth’s two-bedroom apartment in New York.
Dimensional Fund Advisors’ early years were challenging. The firm's investment philosophy was different from the traditional approach to investing, and it took some time for investors to warm up to it. However, Dimensional Fund Advisors’ performance over the long term has been outstanding, and the firm has grown steadily in recent years.
Dimensional Fund Advisors offers a wide range of investment products, including:
Dimensional has a strong culture of innovation and collaboration. Its origins are rooted in academia, with its founders and board members composed of giants in the field of economics. Nobel Laureates Gene Fama, Merton Miller, and Myron Scholes were all involved with Dimensional in its early stages. Mr. Fama remains a consultant to this day.
Sound academic research is the basis for investments at Dimensional. Continuous learning and innovation are at the heart of its company culture.
Dimensional Fund Advisors also practices Investment Stewardship by promoting strong governance in the companies it invests in.
Dave Butler and Gerard K. O'Reilly are the co-CEOs of Dimensional Fund Advisors.
Butler has been with the firm since 1995 and became co-CEO in 2017. He has been with Dimensional Fund Advisors for 25 years.
O'Reilly joined DFA in 2004, also becoming co-CEO in 2017. He was the former Head of Research and is a member of the Investment Research Committee.
Butler and O'Reilly are both strong advocates of Dimensional Fund Advisors’ investment philosophy, and they have been instrumental in the firm's growth and success. They are also both committed to the firm's culture of innovation and collaboration.
Dimensional Fund Advisors investment philosophy is gaining in popularity, and its products are becoming more widely available. The firm also continues to expand its international presence and is developing new products and services to meet the needs of its clients.
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