A recent article in Forbes profiles Jeffrey Talpins, a 44-year-old hedge fund manager that has “bucked the trend” with his firm Element Capital, returning “about 21% annually net of some expensive fees since its inception in 2005—an incredible track record in any era.”

“There are fewer hedge fund managers on The Forbes 400 list of richest American than there used to be,” the article reports, adding that Talpins is appearing on the list for the first time, with an estimated worth of about $1.7 billion.

The article describes Talpins, a former Citigroup and Goldman Sachs fixed-income trader, as “quite simply the hottest hedge fund manager on the planet.” He reportedly bets on interest rates, bonds and currencies, and employs an investment strategy that focuses heavily on options. Although he has not spoken to the media publicly for years, an SEC filing shows that Element Capital employs about 58 people, about half of whom are investment professionals.

“Last year, a terrible one for most hedge fund managers, Talpins’ hedge fund returned 17%.” Not surprisingly, investors have taken notice: Element Capital now manages about $17 billion, up from $9 billion a year ago.