Cathie Wood, CEO of Ark Investment Management, recently sold approximately $40 million of Tesla shares, one of Ark Innovation ETF’s (ARKK) largest holdings. This move comes amid growing investor caution over high-tech stock valuations. Despite this sale, ARKK has performed strongly in 2025, rising 39.54% year-to-date, significantly outpacing the S&P 500’s 16.08% gain.
Wood, famed for her 2020 success with ARKK, remains a long-term believer in disruptive technology, including AI, robotics, blockchain, and biomedical innovation, though the ETF’s five-year annualized return still lags the broader market at -7.83%.
The recent Tesla sale followed previous disposals in early December but comes after a Q3 2025 increase of roughly 512,000 shares. Tesla continues to be the ETF’s largest position at nearly 12%. Wood maintains a bullish long-term outlook for Tesla, especially regarding its Robotaxi and humanoid robotics initiatives, predicting a $2,600 stock price over five years.
Despite Wood’s optimism, some investors remain skeptical. ARKK saw about $1.19 billion in net outflows over the past year, and concerns over slowing EV sales and market volatility persist. Nevertheless, Wood continues to reject the notion of an “AI bubble,” emphasizing that enterprise adoption of AI will take time but offers massive productivity potential.
Who is Cathie Wood?
Cathie Wood is the founder, CEO, and chief investment officer of ARK Investment Management (Ark Invest). She started Ark Invest in 2014 after working for decades at AllianceBernstein and other traditional firms. Her goal was to focus on innovation and disruptive technologies.
Under her leadership, Ark Invest quickly became one of the fastest-growing ETF providers. The firm manages billions of dollars through actively managed funds. These funds invest boldly in high-growth sectors, including genomics, robotics, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
Wood is known as one of Wall Street’s most influential and sometimes polarizing figures. She takes big bets on transformative technologies, often holding concentrated positions in volatile stocks. These investments have delivered huge returns in strong markets but have also faced criticism during market downturns.
Her flagship ETFs show her latest moves in tech and AI stocks. Tesla remains a key holding in her portfolios, reflecting her long-term conviction in the company’s potential.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Catherine Duddy Wood |
| Date of Birth | November 26, 1955 |
| Age | 69–70 years |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Gerald Duddy (father), Mary Duddy (mother) |
| Parents’ Background | Irish immigrants |
| Father’s Profession | Radar systems engineer; served in Irish Army and U.S. Air Force |
| Religion | Devout Christian |
| High School | Notre Dame Academy, Los Angeles |
| High School Type | All-girls Catholic school |
| High School Graduation | 1974 |
| University | University of Southern California (USC) |
| Degree | Bachelor of Science (BS) |
| Field of Study | Finance and Economics |
| Graduation Honors | Summa Cum Laude |
| Graduation Year | 1981 |
| Notable Mentor | Arthur Laffer (economist) |
| Early Career Start | Capital Group |
| First Job Role | Assistant Economist |
| Years at Capital Group | 3 years |
| Jennison Associates Role | Chief Economist, Analyst, Portfolio Manager, Managing Director |
| Years at Jennison | 18 years |
| Major Debate | Debated Henry Kaufman on interest rates (1980s) |
| Tupelo Capital Management | Co-founded in 1998 |
| Co-founder | Lulu C. Wang |
| AllianceBernstein Role | CIO, Global Thematic Strategies |
| Years at AllianceBernstein | 12 years |
| Assets Managed There | ~$5 billion |
| ARK Invest Founded | 2014 |
| Reason for Founding | Disruptive ETF idea rejected as too risky |
| Company Name Meaning | Named after the Ark of the Covenant |
| Initial ETF Funding | Bill Hwang (Archegos Capital) |
| Current Role | Founder, CEO, and CIO of ARK Invest |
| Flagship ETF | ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) |
| Investment Focus | AI, robotics, genomics, blockchain, innovation |
| Investment Style | High-conviction, long-term, disruptive growth |
| Best Performance Years | 2017, 2020, 2023 |
| Worst Drawdowns | 2021–2022 |
| Morningstar Ranking | 3rd largest “wealth destroyer” fund (2014–2023) |
| Shareholder Loss (10 yrs) | ~$7.1 billion |
| ARKK 2020 Status | Top-performing global equity fund |
| Bloomberg Recognition | Best stock picker of 2020 |
| ARKK 2023 Status | Top-performing active U.S. ETF |
| 10-Year ARKK Return | 122% |
| Comparison | Nasdaq-100 returned ~330% |
| 2025 Coinbase Sale | Sold ~$47.9M worth of shares |
| Coinbase Holding Rank | Second-largest holding |
| ARKK 2025 Performance | Up 23.4% through Q3 |
| Awards | Forbes 50 Over 50 (2021) |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Former Spouse | Robert Wood (died 2018) |
| Children | 3 |
| Current Residence | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Political Views (Public) | Warned against high taxes & regulation |
| Philanthropy | Founded Duddy Innovation Institute |
| Institute Purpose | Encourage girls in innovation |
| Crypto Stance | Strong supporter of Bitcoin |
| Bitcoin Allocation | ~25% of net worth (as of 2024) |
| Estimated Net Worth | Not officially disclosed |
| Known Interests | Innovation, investing, Bible study, technology education |
| Hobbies | Not publicly disclosed |
Investment Philosophy
Cathie Wood focuses on disruptive innovation. She invests in companies using new technologies that can change industries. Her goal is strong growth over 5 to 10 years or more. She accepts short-term losses for bigger long-term gains. Market volatility does not stop her.
Wood uses a top-down research approach. She studies big trends first. She looks for convergence between AI, robotics, energy storage, genomics, and blockchain. Her portfolios are highly concentrated. The top 10 holdings often make up 50% to 60% of a fund. She prefers high-conviction stocks over broad diversification.
Her key sectors include tech, fintech, and e-commerce. She invests heavily in AI, data centers, and machine learning. She also focuses on biotech and genomics through the ARKG ETF.
She adds global exposure, including Chinese AI stocks like Baidu.
Risk is managed through active trading. She buys stocks when prices fall. She trims winners to rebalance portfolios. She avoids over-dependence on the “Magnificent 7” megacaps. Wood accepts deep drawdowns as part of the cycle. She believes bull markets can deliver 40% to 50% annual returns in her best cases.
Major Stock Moves
Tech Stock Investments
ARK Invest actively bought tech stocks in mid-December 2025. The focus was on fintech and digital platforms during market dips. A major purchase was Robinhood Markets (HOOD). ARK added over $16.9 million on December 11. The buys were spread across ARKK and ARKW.
ARK also increased its stake in Baidu (BIDU). It bought 51,263 shares worth about $6.4 million on December 8. The move reflects confidence in Chinese AI and search. Trade Desk (TTD) was added earlier in December. The bet targets digital advertising growth.
ARK also made a targeted investment in Beamr Imaging (BMR). Beamr is an Israeli video compression and AI optimization company. ARK bought a large number of shares. This shows Wood’s interest in niche tech enablers for streaming and cloud efficiency.
AI Stock Activity
Cathie Wood balances AI stock buying and selling. She buys during dips and trims after strong runs. Recent AI buys include Tempus AI (TEM). The company focuses on precision medicine. ARK also gained indirect exposure to CoreWeave. This targets AI cloud infrastructure.
At the same time, ARK trimmed Meta (META). Sales totaled about $9–15 million in early December. Nvidia (NVDA) saw mixed action in 2025. Wood trimmed earlier due to high valuations. She re-entered with buys in November.
Her AI strategy focuses on convergence. She invests in data centers, robotics, and machine learning. She prefers undervalued AI plays over hyped leaders. ARK projects AI to drive 38% annual growth in innovation.
Semiconductor and Nvidia
Semiconductors support ARK’s AI strategy. They are seen as infrastructure enablers. ARK holds names like TSM and AMD. These support chip production and AI compute. Nvidia remains important but not dominant. Wood trimmed Nvidia earlier in 2025. She later added shares after earnings. She views Nvidia as a leader in AI training. She also rotates into AMD for lower valuations.
Tesla Moves
Cathie Wood trimmed Tesla in late 2025. On December 12, ARK sold about 87,993 shares. The sale was worth roughly $39 million. Tesla remains a top ARKK holding. It still makes up about 10% of the fund. Tesla was ARK’s flagship investment in earlier years. It delivered major gains in 2020 and 2021.
Recent sales reflect rebalancing and profit-taking. They also reflect delays in robotaxi plans. Wood remains bullish long term. She maintains a $2,600+ price target. The estimate includes Optimus robots.
Other Notable Investments
ARK bought about $56 million worth of Alphabet (GOOG) in November 2025. The move targets AI and cloud growth. In biotech, ARKG holds major names. These include CRISPR Therapeutics, Beam Therapeutics, and Nurix Therapeutics. ARK continued buying Nurix in December.
ARK also increased Bitcoin exposure. It added to the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB). Smaller additions were made on December 10. ARK also holds crypto-related stocks like Coinbase. Wood views Bitcoin as digital gold. She believes institutional demand could drive major long-term gains.
Cathie Wood Net Worth and Financial Profile
Cathie Wood’s net worth is estimated at $250–400 million as of late 2025. Most of her wealth comes from her ownership stake in ARK Investment Management, the innovation-focused firm she founded in 2014. ARK grew from modest beginnings to manage over $60 billion at its peak during the 2021 bull run. This generated substantial performance fees and equity value for Wood as CEO and majority owner.
Her wealth grew rapidly in 2020–2021 when ARK’s flagship ARKK ETF surged more than 150% in 2020. The gains were driven by bets on Tesla, Zoom, Roku, and CRISPR biotech. Billions of dollars flowed into the fund, boosting her personal stake to nine figures.
Although assets under management dropped sharply in the 2022–2023 bear market, they rebounded in 2024–2025 with renewed AI interest. Wood’s long-term, concentrated investment approach preserved significant gains despite volatility.
Beyond ARK equity, her financial profile includes limited personal investments, speaking fees, and royalties from her reports and books. Earlier, she earned compensation at AllianceBernstein, where she managed over $5 billion.
Wood’s market influence adds to her wealth. Her daily trade disclosures can move billions in market value, earning her the nickname “Queen of the Bulls.” Her career reflects visionary risk-taking, turning a niche innovation strategy into one of Wall Street’s most watched empires.
Influence and Legacy
Cathie Wood has transformed investing with active, thematic ETFs focused on disruptive innovation. She favors companies driving technological change over short-term profits, challenging traditional strategies.
Through daily trade transparency and Big Ideas reports, Wood has made innovation investing accessible to retail investors. Her early bets on Tesla and AI have moved billions in market value. Known as the “Queen of ETFs,” she remains influential despite market downturns, like ARKK’s 80%+ fall in 2022.
Wood brought AI and biotech into mainstream investing early, buying Nvidia, TSM, AMD, CRISPR, Tempus AI, and Nurix. She buys dips in high-growth stocks and rotates across converging platforms such as WeRide and Robinhood. Her approach has influenced venture capital, retail traders, and broader markets.
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