Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Thursday criticized billionaire Ray Dalio's investments in China, writing in a tweet that "his feigned ignorance of China's horrific abuses and rationalization of complicit investments there is a sad moral lapse."
Driving the news: Romney's comments come after Dalio's firm, Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world, raised $1.3 billion in November for a new private fund in China, Bloomberg reports.
Ray Dalio is brilliant and a friend, but his feigned ignorance of China’s horrific abuses and rationalization of complicit investments there is a sad moral lapse. Tragically, it is shared by far too many here and throughout the free world.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 2, 2021
- When asked about his investments in China earlier this week, Dalio said: "I can't be an expert in those types of things," adding, "I look to whatever the rules are."
- "So the guidance of the government is the most important thing," Dalio also told Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC's "Squawk Box."
- Axios has asked Ray Dalio for a comment about the tweet, and will add it when received.
The big picture: Dalio's comments come as some sports figures and organizations — including the Women's Tennis Association and Boston Celtics' Enes Kanter — are taking on Beijing ahead of the Winter Olympics.
- The women's professional tennis tour suspended tournaments in China and Hong Kong this week amid concerns over the treatment of tennis player Peng Shuai.
Go deeper: Courage vs. coddling with China
