Traditonally universities have been among the most conservative of investors, investing almost exclusively in high-quality bonds and holding them to maturity.

Some time in the 1980s or1990s they got tired of losing out. The law of large numbers says that they take very little risk in a well diversified protfolio of stocks . . . if the stocks are in high-quality companies.

More recently they are part of a bigger problem.
30% private equity. There are a lot of shady characters and a lot of hair-brained ideas there. It can be a real minefield. Which is why it is private and not “open to the public.”

Heck, a lot of companies that go public now should not be allowed to go public.