One of the European investment office's co-founders is selling his stake and launching a new business, but he will remain with the business he helped create.

Julien Sevaux, co-founder of Stanhope Capital, the international investment office headquartered from London, is selling his 27.5 per cent stake to co-founder and chief executive Daniel Pinto, moving on to launch a new, specialist venture focusing on equity investments.   

Although he is selling the stake, Sevaux will remain a member of Stanhope Capital’s investment committee and will keep his day-to-day, client management responsibilities going forward. His family intends to remain a client of the firm, Stanhope Capital said in a statement today. 

The new investment management business, which Sevaux plans to launch later this year, will offer a pooled vehicle for multiple investors seeking a specialist public and private equity offering. It will not focus on diversified portfolios similar to Stanhope Capital’s model, it continued.

Stanhope was founded in 2004 by Pinto and Sevaux; it now oversees more than $9.5 billion for private clients, charities and endowments.

In a 25-year career, Sevaux has worked in private and public markets. He is a former board member of Worms & Cie, the diversified banking and industrial family group. Prior to co-founding Stanhope Capital, he was a principal in Lehman Brothers’ Private Equity Group and formerly a senior M&A banker at Lehman in New York and London.

The firm regularly comments on investment issues, including reasons for changes to its asset allocation. To see a recent commentary from its chief investment officer, Jonathan Bell, click here.

Services of the business include discretionary management, merchant banking and investment consulting. It has offices in London and Geneva.