98: Raphael Ng, from professional dancing to a professional FX Fund Management

The Adrian Tan Show

Raphael Ng is an ex-ballerino who had spent decades dancing before making the life-changing decision to venture into the world of hedge funds. The dancer has come a long way to become a fund manager at Salzworth Asset Management.

Born to professional dancers, Raphael started taking ballet lessons at the young age of four and eventually extended to various forms of dancing like Chinese Dance and Contemporary Dance till he was 27. Raphael then achieved Distinctions in his Royal Academy of Dance ballet examinations. He clinched top places in world competitions like the International Dance Competition in Bolzano, Italy, and the Barcelona Dance Grand Prix during his time in a contemporary dance group back in university.

Upon spending a few years in top banking and fintech firms such as Credit Suisse and Stashaway, he observed a gap in the market for a currency-focused fund that can serve as a bedrock in one’s portfolio. Believing that investors should be aware of how FX can serve as a consistent and reliable source of returns, he eventually joined Salzworth. He co-founded the Global Currency Fund with like-minded individuals Ashli Koe and Yap Zhi Xin in 2019.

The fund has since achieved strong performance and has come out top in January and February 2022 globally, as well as the Top 10 currency fund in 2021, according to BarclayHedge, a hedge fund database. The fund has also received the Singapore Young Entrepreneurs Award 2021 (SYEA) in the Innovative Industrialisation category.

Despite taking a backseat in performing, Raphael found a different way to contribute to the dance scene. His passion for dance still eventually led him to found Supertone. This company offers chic and comfortable dancewear and Jete Studios, a ballet school for children, to nurture the next generation of ballet dancers.

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