Janus Capital Group is a mutual fund company that specializes in the active management of investor assets. They are responsible for the investment advisory, distribution, and marketing of their various funds throughout the world. The company's asset management disciplines include growth, core, international and value. As of February 29, 2004 total assets under management at Janus was $147.5 billion (Janus.com).
Tom Bailey established Janus Mutual Funds in 1970 with only 30 investors and less than $500,000 in initial capital. By 1980, Janus had accumulated $33.5 million in assets and was easily beating the S&P 500 returns by investing in value-oriented stocks. In 1984, Kansas City Southern Railroad executive Landon Rowland decided that the railroad industry was stagnant. Rowland was looking for a way for his company to diversify and approached Tom Bailey with an offer to purchase his fund company. Tom decided he would sell 90% of his company to Kansas City Southern but managed to retain control of the firm through a clause in his contract. By 1990, the Janus family of funds had accumulated over $4 billion in assets and launched one of the first international funds in America, the Janus Worldwide fund. In 1996, Janus begins their first foray into national advertising and a year later become one of the first fund companies to offer a website for investors to research their funds. In 1997, international fund manager Helen Young Hayes is named by Morningstar as fund manager of the year. In 1998, fund manager Scott Schoelzel is named Manager of the Year by Mutual Fund Magazine. Also in 1998, Janus is named "Family of the Year" by Mutual Funds Magazine and Fortune ranks Janus as one of the top 100 companies to work for. By 2000, Janus was managing $250 billion and was the most revered fund company in America easily beating its peers in almost every investment category. In 2002 Janus shareholders were shocke...