Fred Hubler makes an unusual comparison in this piece: Taylor Swift’s career, he argues, is essentially a masterclass in how alternative investments work, and he lays out ten specific parallels between her approach and the strategies alternative investors use.
The first parallel is being uncorrelated with traditional markets. Just as most alternative investments aren’t tied to the public stock market, Hubler notes that Swift’s success isn’t tied to the popularity of any one music genre – she’s released country songs without being labeled a traditional country star, and her albums span genres regardless of what’s currently in vogue, much like an out-of-favor asset class (he cites multifamily real estate) can still be a smart place to invest.
The second is high growth potential. Hubler frames Swift’s ability to reinvent herself and reach new audiences as intentional, paralleling how alternative investment strategies benefit from shifting allocations over time, since real estate, energy, and other alternatives each have their own cycle where they’re positioned to perform best.
There are eight more parallels in the full piece – active management, intangible value, calculated risks, and more.
Hubler breaks down every one of them in his original article on Forbes: Why Taylor Swift’s Career Is A Masterclass In Alternative Investment