If Harvard’s scrambling for liquidity, are Indians really prepared? Finfluencer breaks it down
“In Harvard’s case, less than 25% of their assets are in 'liquid' assets. This means, if it wants money tomorrow, it can’t get it,” he noted.
- Apr 20, 2025,
- Updated Apr 20, 2025 12:42 PM IST
If Harvard University with its $53 billion endowment needed to borrow $1.2 billion in just two months, what does that say about your own finances?
That’s the question posed by Akshat Shrivastava, founder of Wisdom Hatch and a popular voice in India’s finfluencer space. Shrivastava wrote on X, “If you are young, keep 50% of your wealth liquid.”
The Harvard case, he argues, is a cautionary tale for everyday investors.
“In Harvard’s case, less than 25% of their assets are in 'liquid' assets. This means, if it wants money tomorrow, it can’t get it,” he noted.
The message is simple but urgent: don’t lock up all your money in illiquid bets like real estate or private equity. Liquidity, especially in volatile times, is not just a hedge—it’s a necessity.
“Even normal investors like you and me make such mistakes,” he added. “Point is: keeping your wealth liquid (at least a big chunk) is critical in uncertain times like these.”
Harvard’s financial strain, as reported by multiple U.S. outlets, comes amid an intensifying standoff with the Trump administration. The university is currently battling a sweeping set of federal demands—from scrapping DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) programs and enforcing merit-based admissions, to submitting data on international students and banning protest masks.
After Harvard refused to comply, the White House froze over $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts, placing its research operations under severe pressure.
There’s also the looming threat of revoked tax-exempt status and further sanctions unless the university agrees to what critics say is an unprecedented federal overreach into academic autonomy.
For Shrivastava, the lesson is bigger than politics. “Liquidity gives you optionality,” he’s previously said. “And optionality is everything in a crisis.”
If Harvard University with its $53 billion endowment needed to borrow $1.2 billion in just two months, what does that say about your own finances?
That’s the question posed by Akshat Shrivastava, founder of Wisdom Hatch and a popular voice in India’s finfluencer space. Shrivastava wrote on X, “If you are young, keep 50% of your wealth liquid.”
The Harvard case, he argues, is a cautionary tale for everyday investors.
“In Harvard’s case, less than 25% of their assets are in 'liquid' assets. This means, if it wants money tomorrow, it can’t get it,” he noted.
The message is simple but urgent: don’t lock up all your money in illiquid bets like real estate or private equity. Liquidity, especially in volatile times, is not just a hedge—it’s a necessity.
“Even normal investors like you and me make such mistakes,” he added. “Point is: keeping your wealth liquid (at least a big chunk) is critical in uncertain times like these.”
Harvard’s financial strain, as reported by multiple U.S. outlets, comes amid an intensifying standoff with the Trump administration. The university is currently battling a sweeping set of federal demands—from scrapping DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) programs and enforcing merit-based admissions, to submitting data on international students and banning protest masks.
After Harvard refused to comply, the White House froze over $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts, placing its research operations under severe pressure.
There’s also the looming threat of revoked tax-exempt status and further sanctions unless the university agrees to what critics say is an unprecedented federal overreach into academic autonomy.
For Shrivastava, the lesson is bigger than politics. “Liquidity gives you optionality,” he’s previously said. “And optionality is everything in a crisis.”