The following biography is all I can get my hands on at this hour — from UNC when it awarded him an honorary degree in 2002

Julian Robertson rose to the pinnacle of the financial world as founder and managing partner of Tiger Management Corporation, one of the largest and most successful hedge fund groups ever created. Today, he focuses his immense talent and energy on philanthropy. In 1989 he established the Tiger Foundation to provide financial support to non-profit organizations serving New York City’s neediest families, and to encourage active, informed philanthropy among Tiger Management’s investment staff. The foundation’s unique structure brings together participating individuals who not only commit their personal fortunes to its work, but also serve as its trustees and actively participate in making its grants.

In 2000, Julian and Josie Robertson established the Robertson Scholars Program with a generous gift to both Duke and Carolina. This innovative program recruits and supports undergraduates on both campuses who divide their academic careers between these two great institutions, thus enriching the undergraduate experience at both. The Robertsons conceived of this program as a tribute to their sons Spencer (Duke, Class of 1998) and Alexander (Carolina, Class of 2001). Robertson has also contributed to Lynn University, the alma mater of his son Julian III, endowed a fellowship in the Kenan-Flagler Business School, and established a foundation in honor of his parents to benefit citizens of Salisbury, North Carolina. Robertson’s other philanthropic interests include Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City where the Josie Robertson Plaza is named in honor of his wife; the Health Care Chaplaincy; the Central Park Conservancy; cancer research; and public and private elementary and secondary education, including the Children’s Scholarship Fund in Charlotte. Generous gifts to Hollins University and St. Mary’s School honor his sisters, Wyndham and Blanche, who are alumnae of those institutions respectively.

Julian Robertson grew up in Salisbury where he attended public schools before enrolling in Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia. He received his B. S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1955, and was inducted into the Order of Gimghoul. Following two years of service in the United States Navy, Robertson joined Kidder Peabody & Company in 1957 as a sales trainee. He was promoted through the ranks at Kidder Peabody, becoming in 1974 chairman and chief executive officer of Webster Management Corporation, a subsidiary of the firm. Six years later, he founded Tiger Management.

In 1979 Robertson and his family moved to New Zealand for six months where he hoped to write a book. That spectacular country nourished his love for geography and natural beauty, a passion that is leading him today to develop golf courses and resorts there, including the magnificent Kauri Cliffs on the North Island. Julian Robertson’s friends fondly describe him as a contrarian who follows not the crowd but his own inner call. This pillar of the financial world never carries a briefcase and does not wear a watch.

Julian Robertson’s service to his alma mater includes tenure as executive-in-residence at the Kenan-Flagler Business School and membership on the Board of Visitors, the Board of Directors of the General Alumni Association (1965-67), and Kenan-Flagler’s Board of Visitors. He received the Board of Trustees’ Davie Award in 1992. In New York he has served as chairman of the Cancer Research Institute, is a member of the executive committee of Lincoln Center, and is a trustee of The Rockefeller University, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

Ben Duke moved in in 1901 but his frail health prevented his enjoying it. He and his wife Sarah discovered they preferred Durham anyhow. He let his brother James B. use it for his first marriage, a union that ended effectively during the honeymoon and legally less than a year later. Ben gave it to his daughter Mary — pushing 30 — when she married a teenager from Philadelphia — Anthony Biddle.

This marriage also ended in disaster — the split causing Mary Duke Biddle to spin into a deep depression that would disable her ability to function, a condition so bad that Ben’s widow Sarah was impelled to go to the mansion to rescue Mary Duke Biddle II, now Mrs. Semans, and bring her grandchild back to Durham.

The house then stood empty for decades, well maintained, even spruced up as a project for Mrs. Seman’s son, used very rarely except for events such as the family gathering under matching crystal chandeliers in a second floor parlor to mourn the passing of James B.’s only child Doris Duke.

Location, location, location. The first three rules of real estate actually subtracted from the value of this home. Rather than looking into Central Park, the mansion faces hard into the giant stone facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even from the sixth story roof, the view is disrupted by the museum, which is a lot better than what’s at the front door nowadays: a hot dog cart surrounded by tourists.

The Dukes are very possessive of their real estate. Witness James B.’s getaway, Duke Farms in NJ, a 700 foot long house closed to the public and 4.21 square miles to be preserved forever as a public park. And two homes that welcome visitors: Rough Point, his ocean mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, and Doris’ Shangri La at Diamond Head in Hawaii. An appraiser looking at some of her Muslim art there told Doris that he had seen $1 billion, and she said to stop.

The first sale of 1009 had to jar the family: the purchaser had money but hardly a pedigree. Starting as an Russian immigrant, Tamir Sapir, original name Temur Sepiashvili, cab driver, cab fleet owner, oil and fertilizer trader with heavy, questionable ties to the Soviet government, said he was going to turn it into a showpiece for his collections. Mrs. Semans said some kind, proud cultural things.

Whoops. Decorative animal hides, stuffed heads and ivory carvings are illegal to have in the U.S., an endangered species law lost on Sapir until charges were brought. Add in the sputtering of his own fortune (down to $1.4 billion at least report), he installed no museum but flipped 1009 for a ten percent profit after owning the mansion for four years, enough time to install two grotesque bigger than life statues under the front door canopy.

The buyer is another billionaire: Carlos Slim (he’s anything but) Helu, the wealthiest man in the world (Forbes, $53.3 billion) because Bill and Melinda Gates have been giving away so much. He’s Mexico’s telecommunications czar and New York Times investor/savior.

The white shoe New York real estate broker Brown Harris Stevens had an exclusive listing on 1009 — but Sapir and Slim waited and did a private deal the day after the listing expired, s sale that’s pissed the brokers who got no commission. Ah those wealthy people.

His e-mail does not go through. The police department directory lists his position as “vacant.”

With the recent departure of VP Dawkins, Duke Police now report to VP Cavanaugh. (Don’t worry, we will not run out of vice presidents)

In the past year, Duke Police have been bedeviled by several incidents that have not been explained adequately.

First, a man was shot in the face and killed by an officer outside Duke Hospital. Duke Police have ducked behind “it’s still being investigated.” And it is outrageous that the campus newspaper has never followed up and introduced us to the dead man, other than his name, to treat him with respect and as a human.

Second, an officer was arrested, with Duke uniform, Duke shield, Duke gun and Duke handcuffs — for the S and M rape of a woman. Oh yes, he also had an over-sized enema bag and butt plug, and whips, among other implements. There has not been explanation of how this pervert got hired, and why he came to Duke for a lesser salary and lesser pension after almost ten years in Raleigh. Equally important, no one at the newspaper has ever found out if the perv worked with students, if he had access to sensitive records, or if for example he interviewed rape victims at the hospital.

Third, we have also been plagued by Durham on Duke crime, with our police force assuring us in the past year of expanded patrols on Central Campus, near 9th Street and in the Trinity area adjacent to East Campus. Where did these added patrols come from — if indeed they exist. Who is being shortchanged?

Fact Checker. All summer.