Tell us about yourself and your background
I’m an investor, dealmaker, and builder at the highest levels of finance. My roots lie deep in private equity, strategic mergers & acquisitions, and global investment banking. I’ve led multi-billion-dollar transactions and orchestrated large-scale enterprise restructurings across industries and continents.
But let me be clear—I didn’t inherit a blueprint or a trust fund. I built this from scratch. My journey wasn’t handed to me; it was carved through grit, long nights, and a relentless pursuit of strategic knowledge. I’ve always believed that real power in business comes not from starting alone—but from controlling, scaling, and transforming.
That mindset has shaped every major decision I’ve made and every deal I’ve closed. Over time, my focus evolved from advising businesses to acquiring them, restructuring them, and engineering rapid growth. The moves I make now are measured in billions—not just in dollars, but in long-term impact.
How did you get started in finance?
I started with curiosity—and courage. I didn’t attend the Ivy League or come from a Wall Street family. My education was the real world and the deal tables. Early on, I realized the people who truly move economies aren’t the ones building every product—but the ones who own, finance, and scale them.
I became obsessed with the mechanics of acquisition—how companies are structured, valued, leveraged, and sold. I studied everything I could: old-school leveraged buyouts, distressed M&A plays, sovereign wealth fund strategies. I reverse-engineered success stories and picked apart the failures.
What began with smaller advisory and financing deals matured quickly. Over the years, our firm scaled into executing deals ranging from $500 million to $5 billion and beyond. The deals I’m doing today aren’t just financial—they’re geopolitical, they’re technological, and they’re transformative.
What exciting projects are you currently involved in?
The crown jewel of our current portfolio is a $10 billion strategic investment initiative to be orchestrated in Dubai. We’re not just building another firm—we’re constructing what will become one of the world’s largest and most influential financial institutions. This will be the epicenter for capital syndication, sovereign deals, founder exits, and direct private equity financing.
We’re building a platform that doesn’t just participate in the global financial game—we’re rewriting the rules. We’re designing a financial fortress that merges high-stakes capital, elite talent, cutting-edge AI infrastructure, and access to high-growth companies before they ever hit the public radar.
This isn’t about banking as usual. This is about building the next Goldman Sachs for the AI era—with global reach, real-time decision-making, and a founder-investor-first philosophy.
What is your mission?
To build the world’s most powerful and accessible financial ecosystem—by profit, by reach and by market cap. I’m not interested in just stacking deals. I want to create a long-lasting framework that empowers founders, investors, and wealth builders to execute at elite levels.
We are designing this ecosystem to be faster, smarter, and fundamentally more aligned than traditional models. It’s time finance evolved—founders deserve more. Investors deserve transparency. And capital should never be idle.
I want to create a global financial system that moves at the speed of ideas—and backs those ideas with real capital, not bureaucracy.
Why did you choose Dubai to launch your global investment banking powerhouse?
Dubai represents the future of capital markets. It’s situated at the intersection of East and West—both geographically and economically. But beyond its location, what makes Dubai unique is its velocity.
In the U.S. and Europe, traditional finance is bogged down by legacy systems, slow regulation, and rigid frameworks. Dubai is agile. Its leadership is forward-thinking, its business environment is fluid, and its infrastructure rivals anywhere else in the world.
Dubai is becoming the Wall Street of the 21st century—but with more agility, more inclusion, and more global intention. The smart money is already flowing here. We’re just building the infrastructure to lead it.
How do you plan to revolutionize investment banking in the UAE?
We’re introducing a radically different model. Traditional investment banks move too slow and operate with too much institutional bloat. We’re building an AI-powered, high-frequency investment banking platform that is built for speed, for scale, and for private market innovation.
Imagine an investment bank that can underwrite, match, model, and deploy capital in weeks—not quarters. That’s what we’re doing. Our approach blends algorithmic deal sourcing, founder-investor matchmaking, and in-house operational expertise to accelerate the investment cycle.
We’re not just raising capital—we’re building velocity. We’re not chasing deals—we’re engineering them.
With the surge of startups in the region, what advice would you give to founders and investors?
Here’s the truth: Fast money wins. The 7–10-year hold period is dead. We live in a compressed capital cycle now—what used to take a decade is happening in 24–36 months.
Founders need to build with the exit in mind from day one. Structure your company like it’s going to be acquired or IPO’d—not like it’s a college project. Get your cap table clean. Nail your financials. Start courting institutional buyers early.
And investors? Stop falling in love with stories. Fall in love with numbers. Fall in love with execution. That’s what pays. That’s how you scale.
What trends are currently reshaping the investment space?
Three game-changing trends:
- AI-Driven Dealmaking – Artificial intelligence is reshaping deal origination, due diligence, and performance monitoring. If you’re not leveraging AI to analyze risk and price value, you’re already behind.
- Sovereign & UHNWI Capital Going Direct – We’re seeing sovereign funds and ultra-high-net-worth families bypassing VC/PE funds entirely. They’re going direct into companies, using platforms like ours.
- Earlier Founder Liquidity Events – Founders are no longer waiting for Series D or IPOs. They’re exiting partially at Series A or B through structured secondaries. Liquidity is the new strategy.
We are standing at the edge of the largest wealth transfer in human history. With every era comes a leap in productivity, speed, and capital formation. During the Industrial Age, billionaires were rare — John D. Rockefeller being the outlier. Fast-forward to the Information Age, and the internet birthed a new wave of tech titans. Today, Forbes estimates over 2,500 billionaires globally. But make no mistake — the Age of AI will redefine the rules of the game. Not only will AI unlock unprecedented productivity, but it will also mint the first trillionaire individuals. Why? Because the same shift happened with public companies. A decade ago, a $1 trillion market cap seemed mythical. Now? It’s the new benchmark. Giants like Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Meta, Amazon, Google, and Berkshire Hathaway have shattered those ceilings. AI isn’t just a new industry — it’s a new economy. And those who control it, will shape the future of wealth, markets, and power.
Can you walk us through your private equity firm’s model for investors?
Our model is simple but powerful: Control. Velocity. Cash flow.
We’re not passive investors. We acquire control positions, install strategic leadership, optimize operations, and drive rapid scale. We’re not here to babysit. We’re here to multiply.
Our deals are structured with built-in investor protections, milestone-based distributions, and defined exit strategies. Whether it’s a $50M roll-up or a $500M carve-out, we bring clarity, speed, and upside.
Investors in our ecosystem benefit from direct exposure to cash-generating assets, private off-market deals, and institutional-grade returns—without the traditional management fees and dilution.
What are the top 3 investment mistakes you see in the UAE?
- Chasing Hype – People confuse headlines with fundamentals. They follow social buzz instead of financial metrics. That’s a recipe for disaster.
- No Due Diligence – Investors are putting money into cap tables they don’t understand. They’re investing in pitch decks, not businesses.
- Underestimating Liquidity Risk – Just because something could be worth a billion doesn’t mean it can generate cash now. Liquidity is king.
Where is AI headed in M&A and Private Equity?
AI will automate 80% of the due diligence process within 5 years.
From financial audits to operational risk mapping to legal contract review—AI will streamline everything. But it’s not just back office—it’s front office too. We’re already using AI to source targets, match sellers with buyers, and simulate deal outcomes before pen hits paper.
Firms that embrace this will scale exponentially. Firms that don’t? They’ll be dinosaurs.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
To build a financial empire that lasts beyond me—and gives others the tools to do the same.
I want to democratize access to elite-level deals. I want to build the Bloomberg Terminal of private equity. I want to teach others how to buy companies, build wealth, and move capital like a pro.
And when it’s all said and done, I want people to say, “He changed the game—and gave others the courage to play it.”
What’s next for you?
At Anpota, Inc., we’ve just completed the acquisition of two established private equity firms—an important milestone that significantly strengthens our capabilities and footprint. These acquisitions have positioned us to enter the Dubai market with greater strategic depth and institutional strength than ever before. Dubai holds immense promise as a global financial hub, and we’re fully committed to fostering innovation, driving growth, and unlocking long-term value for partners and stakeholders in the region.
In the United States, our portfolio companies continue to scale aggressively. We’re experiencing strong momentum across multiple sectors, and our national office expansion is well underway—ensuring we’re not only keeping pace with the market but actively shaping its evolution.
We’re also preparing for the future of finance by launching a global founder–investor platform. The mission is simple but powerful: to connect, educate, and empower the next generation of bold builders and strategic investors around the world. This will be a dynamic ecosystem where high-caliber founders gain access to smart capital, while investors tap into curated, high-impact opportunities across key verticals.
In parallel, we’re preparing to take several of our portfolio companies public over the next 24 to 36 months. These IPOs are not only a testament to our disciplined value-creation model, but also an opportunity to generate outsized returns and deepen our impact across industries.
The world is moving toward deeper integration—across capital, markets, and innovation. At Anpota, we’re not only adapting to this new era—we’re helping lead it. We’re actively seeking collaborations with local players, family offices, and institutional partners who share our vision and are ready to scale with purpose. Local players can partner with us to leverage our resources and expertise.
Where can readers learn more or connect with you?
You can follow my latest insights on Linkedin at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersonfoxvip
or visit our Private equity division at www.anpota.com or advisory division at www.anpotainc.com.
For general inquiries or partnerships, or investments contact us at: info@anpota.com
