The firm attributed Leopold Aschenbrenner’s losses to concentration and leverage, arguing they were not caused by coordinated short selling.
S3 Partners said losses at Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Situational Awareness were driven by concentrated, crowded and heavily leveraged positions, rather than by coordinated short selling. The statement points to risk built into the portfolio itself, with position concentration and leverage amplifying losses when trades moved against the fund. In market terms, crowded trades can become harder to exit during stress, while leverage can magnify both gains and drawdowns.