Michael Hasenstab

Hasenstab is one of the biggest winners from the eurozone crisis. His $60 billion Templeton Global Bond Fund has gained 10% this year, to beat all but a handful of rivals. The Ph.D.-educated contrarian is betting that Europe will stay together, despite the threat of many more years of economic hardship. Hasenstab regularly meets with policymakers around the world. Then he buys debt according to his take on a country’s prospects — not merely a benchmark index. His view of the U.S.? He hasn’t owned U.S. Treasuries for years. (“We’ve printed way too much money,” he says.) His big bet is on China’s continued growth. Expert at: Skinning and chopping up chickens. (He assisted the cafeteria chef in his freshman year at Carleton College.) –S.C.