Malta’s reputation as an attractive hedge fund domicile is increasingly being recognized worldwide. Further to Business Insider’s positive recommendation and the glowing review received in the Bloomberg magazine, Malta is also the protagonist in a video clip by Bloomberg markets magazine highlighting top locations for global hedge funds.
Malta’s impressive threefold increase in the number of hedge funds domiciled in Malta since 2006 leading up to the current figure of over five hundred hedge funds is reported as a demonstration that Malta has earned itself the right to be placed on the list of top locations for global hedge funds together with other well established jurisdictions such as the Cayman islands, the US, Luxembourg, Ireland and the BVI.
Malta’s main appealing features have been quoted as being: its status as an onshore jurisdiction, its EU membership, the relatively low costs incurred in relation to well trained professionals such as accountants and lawyers when compared to other jurisdictions and its attractive Mediterranean climate and lifestyle.
It is reported that after the 2008 financial crisis many hedge fund investors faced difficulties to recover their money and assets from offshore jurisdictions thus becoming increasingly wary of unregulated jurisdictions and giving preference to well regulated environments. Malta offers favourable tax rates but is not an offshore jurisdiction thus granting greater piece of mind to investors. Malta, being an EU Member State, is highly regulated and offers a European address thus reassuring hedge fund managers from fear of the application of EU rules that could render the operation of non-EU based hedge fund managers within the EU increasingly more burdensome.