David Harding, Josh Friedman Pull Out of Saudi Event

(Bloomberg) -- Winton Group founder David Harding joined the list of high-profile names to pull out of Saudi Arabia’s “Davos in the Desert” conference, a person familiar with his plans said.

Hedge fund manager Josh Friedman, co-founder of Canyon Partners LLC, also won’t attend the conference, said a person familiar.

Financiers including JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Jamie Dimon and BlackRock Inc.’s Larry Fink have already said they will skip the kingdom’s Future Investment Initiative event next week following the disappearance of a journalist. The mystery surrounding the fate of Jamal Khashoggi has heaped pressure on Saudi Arabia, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo having flown to Riyadh for talks on the issue with the country’s leaders.

Winton is one of the world’s largest quantitative investment firms, managing about $27 billion.

Read more: Deutsche Bank, Siemens CEOs Waver on Attending Saudi Event

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