Catherine Duddy Wood is an American investor and founder who serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of ARK Invest, an investment management firm focused on disruptive innovation. She gained prominence for her investment strategies in emerging technologies and innovative companies, particularly through her actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ^[2]

Early Life and Education

Born in 1955 in Los Angeles, Wood is the eldest child of Irish immigrants Gerald and Mary Duddy. Her father worked as a radar systems engineer for both the Irish Army and the United States Air Force. She completed her education at Notre Dame Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school in Los Angeles, in 1974. Wood went on to graduate summa cum laude from the University of Southern California in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and economics. ^{[2] [1]}

Career Development

Wood's career in finance spans over four decades, beginning in 1977 at Capital Group as an assistant economist. Her early career included significant positions:

• Jennison Associates (1980-1998): Served as chief economist, analyst, portfolio manager, and managing director
• Tupelo Capital Management (1998): Co-founded this New York City-based hedge fund
• AllianceBernstein (2001-2014): Worked as CIO of global thematic strategies, managing $5 billion ^[3]

ARK Invest Foundation and Leadership

In 2014, Wood founded ARK Investment Management LLC after leaving AllianceBernstein, where her proposal for actively managed ETFs focused on disruptive innovation was considered too risky. The company name "ARK" was inspired by the Ark of the Covenant, reflecting Wood's religious background ^[2].

Investment Performance

Wood's flagship fund, ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), has shown notable performance variations:

• 2020: Achieved top-performing status among global equity funds with assets over $1 billion ^[2]
• 2023: Ranked as the top-performing actively traded U.S. diversified ETF ^[2]
• 2021-2022: Experienced significant challenges, with a 24% decline in 2021 and became the worst-performing equity fund in Q1 2022 ^[2]

Recent Trading Activity

In September 2025, Cathie Wood's ARK Invest continued its strategy of adjusting holdings in key technology companies. The firm notably trimmed its positions in Roku and Tempus AI. On Friday, September 19, the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) sold 22,732 shares of Roku, valued at approximately $2.25 million, and 60,550 shares of Tempus AI, worth about $5.3 million. Following these sales, Roku became the third-largest holding across ARK's combined portfolios with a 5.03% weighting, while Tempus AI was positioned as the seventh-largest holding with a 4.3% weighting. During the same period, ARK Invest increased its stakes in other companies, including Bullish and Brera Holdings. ^{[4] [5]}

Investment Philosophy and Predictions

Wood is known for her bullish outlook on disruptive technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). She has predicted that the AI software market will expand significantly, reaching a value of $13 trillion by 2030. This forecast is considerably more optimistic than many other industry projections; for example, ABI Research anticipates the market will reach $467 billion by the same year. Ark Invest's prediction is based on the assumption of "rapid mass adoption" of AI in software creation, projecting that AI could automate as much as "81% of current working time" by 2030. ^[6]

Recognition and Impact

Wood was included in the inaugural 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50 list, recognizing her achievements as an entrepreneur and leader ^[2]. She has also established the Duddy Innovation Institute at her alma mater, Notre Dame Academy, to encourage girls to study disruptive innovation ^[2].

Interviews

Investment Changes

In June 2025, Wood joined The Diary Of A CEO podcast to discuss her conviction that significant changes in the investment landscape were imminent, particularly due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). She highlighted her long-standing experience in identifying trends, notably investing over $2 billion in companies like Tesla, which she described as a major player in the AI sector. Wood warned that traditional companies such as Apple may face disruption from AI technologies, urging investors to prioritize emerging companies that capitalize on these advancements. She emphasized the importance of adapting to technological changes, predicting that investments centered on AI could yield substantial returns of up to ten times over the next decade. Wood also expressed optimism about the overall economic growth potential tied to these innovations, advocating for proactive investment strategies while cautioning against complacency in a rapidly evolving market. ^[7]

Bullish on AI

In May 2025, Bloomberg interviewed Wood, who expressed an optimistic view regarding various market sectors, including artificial intelligence, technology, healthcare, and the U.S. economy. She highlighted that improvements in trade negotiations, particularly regarding tariff reductions, could be beneficial for economic growth, suggesting that such changes have a similar effect to tax cuts. Wood discussed the impact of tax rate reductions on corporate revenues, citing evidence from the Trump administration that suggests lower corporate taxes led companies to relocate to the U.S. and increase tax revenues. She emphasized the rapid technological advancements, particularly in AI, which she believed would lead to significant GDP growth and innovation, especially within the healthcare sector. Wood noted the potential for AI to streamline drug discovery and improve health outcomes, suggesting a shift in focus from traditional pharmaceuticals to more innovative treatments driven by technological advancements. Despite concerns about federal spending and deficits, she maintained that these factors could be managed through innovation and efficiency gains in various industries. Overall, she believed that the U.S. market was poised for positive changes and advancements across several sectors. ^[8]

Presentations

Employment Report

On the “In The Know” podcast, Wood discussed an August 2025 employment report where the results were notably weaker than anticipated, primarily due to significant downward revisions of previous months’ figures, which heightened investors' concerns about a potential recession. Wood's analysis intertwined discussions on fiscal and monetary policies, emphasizing that the Federal Reserve appeared poised for possible interest rate cuts in the future, despite recent hawkish statements from Chairman Powell. Various economic indicators, including employment data and consumer sentiment, suggested growing uncertainty and instability. Moreover, she highlighted geopolitical risks, particularly regarding tensions with Russia, as well as trade uncertainties with China and Mexico. Overall, Wood characterized the economic situation as a "rolling recession," anticipating that a prolonged recovery would be on the horizon, partly driven by innovations in technology and changing economic policies aimed at revitalizing U.S. manufacturing. ^[9]

AI Job Market

In a July 2025 episode of the “In The Know” podcast, Wood proposed that the economy had been experiencing a rolling recession for the past three years, as evidenced by declining consumer sentiment and weak housing markets. Wood highlighted that high interest rates have negatively impacted housing prices and expressed confidence that, as certain geopolitical tensions subside, a transition to a rolling recovery fueled by enhanced productivity and lower-than-expected inflation may be forthcoming. She pointed out the lagging nature of employment statistics, emphasizing a weak employment report with minimal growth in private payrolls and rising challenges for job seekers, particularly graduates, largely attributed to the disruptive influence of AI. Her analysis also touched on fiscal and monetary policies, asserting that despite the current fiscal deficits, innovative growth could eventually resolve these issues over time, fostering a healthier economic environment. ^[10]

AI and Economic Growth

In her December 2023 TED talk, “Why AI Will Spark Exponential Economic Growth”, Wood discussed the unprecedented convergence of five innovation platforms—artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, blockchain technology, and multiomic sequencing—that she believed would drive significant economic growth. She compared this moment to the early 1900s, when three major technologies emerged simultaneously. Wood posited that advancements in AI, particularly generative AI, would lead to exponential rather than linear growth, suggesting that productivity among knowledge workers could quadruple, potentially accelerating global GDP growth from 2 to 3 percent to between 6 and 9 percent. She highlighted opportunities such as autonomous taxi platforms, predicting they could generate substantial revenue and reshape industries. Wood expressed optimism about the potential for innovation to create wealth and transform the economic landscape while cautioning against outdated perceptions of inflation and growth dynamics. ^[11]

Panels

Robinhood, Musk, & DATs

In a market update webinar, Dan White moderated a discussion featuring Wood and the ARK Investment Team, who reviewed the current economic climate as of September 2025. Wood highlighted trends indicating a decline in inflation and interest rates, a significant impact from tariffs on businesses and consumers, and evolving valuations within the innovation sector. She expressed confidence in a broadening bull market despite existing geopolitical tensions. The conversation also touched on the trends of passive investing inflating valuations of large companies, with an expectation that innovative stocks would begin to outperform these benchmarks due to potential disruptions to major players like Apple and Google. Additionally, discussions regarding Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs) revealed ARK's investment in Bitmine, a company that accumulates Ethereum, as well as the anticipated changes in valuations for emerging assets like Ether due to their yield-generating nature. The webinar concluded with debates on the significance of companies like Robinhood, Tesla, and Palantir in the context of evolving market dynamics and technological advancements. ^[12]

ARKG, AI, & Stablecoins

In an August 2025 market update webinar, Dan White moderated a discussion featuring Wood and the ARK Investment Team, who reviewed current economic conditions and the investment landscape. They noted a slowdown in GDP growth and a weak labor market, which contributed to a rolling recession consistent with their past predictions. Despite challenges facing consumer-based companies, profit growth for the S&P remained stable due to productivity gains enhanced by innovation, particularly in the field of AI. Wood emphasized the importance of adapting investment strategies to leverage rapid technological advancements. The discussion also covered the evolving landscape in the healthcare sector, which is being impacted by new regulatory dynamics and strategic acquisitions, as well as insights into emerging opportunities in robotics, autonomous vehicles, and cryptocurrency. Overall, the speakers presented a cautious yet optimistic outlook for future market trends shaped by innovation and regulatory changes. ^[13]