This fall, Epic Funds Managing Partner and Co-founder Michael Fitzpatrick will join UCLA's ECON 106M/106ML, Financial Markets and Institutions, as a weekly guest speaker. The course is taught by João Guerreiro, Assistant Professor of Economics, and covers money, central banking, bond and equity markets, and financial regulation.

In the course's weekly labs, two student teams debate opposing positions on a current policy question. Michael then offers his perspective and helps lead a class discussion.

This quarter's topics are:

• Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies

• Post-COVID inflation

• Central bank digital currencies

• Big Tech in banking

• AI-based lending

• AI equity valuations

• Algorithmic trading

• Digital bank runs and deposit insurance

Each week, Michael will speak to about 90 students. He'll share an investor's view of how each issue plays out in real markets, along with a skill that matters in any career: building an argument from evidence and presenting it clearly.
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A Growing Partnership
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Michael, a UCLA graduate, joined the Advisory Council of UCLA's Master of Quantitative Economics (MQE) program in 2023 and now serves as its Chairman. Beyond the classroom, he is coaching 6–8 master's students this year on research projects tied to private markets. The work gives Epic Funds research depth well beyond its size and gives students real-world problems to solve.
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Where It Started
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Michael credits the relationship with Professor Andy Atkeson, his undergraduate professor. Atkeson is the Stanley M. Zimmerman Professor of Economics at UCLA and has been a co-editor of the Journal of Political Economy since 2021. UCLA Economics has a long record of shaping the field. Nobel laureate Lloyd Shapley joined its faculty in 1981 and was an emeritus professor when he won the 2012 prize.
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Epic Funds is not affiliated with UCLA. Neither Epic Funds nor Michael Fitzpatrick received compensation from UCLA in connection with this announcement. References to Michael’s professional experience are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice or an offer to buy or sell any security.