Mala Gaonkar

Mala Gopal Gaonkar is an American investor, businesswoman and writer.

Mala Gopal Gaonkar is an American investor, businesswoman and writer. She is the founder of SurgoCap Partners and was previously a founding partner and portfolio manager at Lone Pine Capital. She is also known for philanthropic work in global health and for co-creating immersive theatre projects.

Early life and education

Gaonkar was born in the United States in November 1969 and was raised in Bengaluru, India, according to multiple biographical profiles. She studied at Harvard University and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Investment career

She joined Lone Pine Capital as a founding partner in 1998 and later served as a portfolio manager there for many years. In 2022, she left to launch SurgoCap Partners, a hedge fund focused on technology-driven change across industries. The firm began trading in January 2023 with $1.8 billion in assets.

Philanthropy and public-health work

Gaonkar co-founded the Surgo Foundation in 2015 and has supported initiatives that apply data science, AI and behavioural science to public-health and social problems. She has also held trustee and board roles in organisations linked to health, engineering and the arts, including Surgo Health P.B.C., Ariadne Labs and the Tate Foundation.

Writing and creative work

Alongside finance, Gaonkar has published short stories in literary magazines. She has also collaborated on immersive theatre projects, including productions associated with David Byrne.

Personal life

Biographical sources identify her spouse as private-equity executive Oliver Haarmann and note that she lives in London. Public profiles also describe her as active outside finance in culture and philanthropy.