Robert Elijah Jordan IV

08/10/1972 - 11/06/2025

AUGUST 10, 1972 - NOVEMBER 6, 2025

Robert Elijah Jordan IV "Bob", who demonstrated an uncommon blend of brilliance, athleticism, and humanity throughout a distinguished career in finance and a deeply principled personal life, died on November 6 in Greenwich, CT, after a courageous two-year battle with an exceedingly rare form of lymphoma and then leukemia. He was frequently described as the exceptional kind of person "you may meet once in a lifetime, if you are fortunate." His courage and hope throughout inspired all around him. He was 53.

Born August 10, 1972, in McLean, Virginia, Bob is survived by his wife, Anyika Allen Jordan, an accomplished writer and literary review editor; their daughter, Aliyah Pennie, and son, Robert Elijah Jordan V "Elijah"; his mother, Karen Jordan, a fine art photographer; and his stepfather, Franklin Kelly, former Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. His late father, Robert E. Jordan III, was a noted litigation attorney in Washington, DC. Bob is also survived by two stepbrothers Taylor Kelly of Washington, DC, and James Kelly of Elkridge, MD, and a half-sister Janet Harding of Edgewater, MD.

Jordan's prodigious ability in math and problem solving was manifested early in life. Given a slide rule at age two-and-a-half he used it with no instruction to perform multiplication. When Bob was seven, he accompanied his mother to watch his father argue a complex appellate rate case in the Southern District of Florida in November 1979. During the proceedings, numerous charts mounted on easels displayed rates and calculations to be presented to the Court. After performing the calculations in his head, Bob quietly told his mother during lunch recess he believed one of the charts was wrong. His observation, later confirmed by his father's legal team, proved accurate and required immediate correction.

At Sidwell Friends. despite being academically gifted, at graduation he had received 10 letters in sports, achieved by—as his parents discovered by accident—playing two major sports at the same time. In his parents' view, at Harvard he majored in rugby and Sigma Chi fraternity, cultivating lifetime friendships. Notwithstanding Bob's athletic and social pursuits, he graduated magna cum laude with a joint concentration in Computer Science and Economics and Government. Many friends from those years and from his subsequent graduate studies at MIT Sloan School of Management (MBA), along with numerous professional colleagues and friends traveled long distances in the US and from abroad to attend his "Remembering Bob" service and burial on November 10.

His sense of purpose was rooted in the values of family, personal responsibility, integrity, humility, loyalty and kindness, intellect, good humor and commitment to his Jewish faith.

A loyal friend and devoted family man, he balanced his distinguished role as Deputy CIO, Special Situations and Senior Managing Director of Blackstone with his love of home life. Concurrent with his tenure (2011-2023) at Blackstone, he served as a Board Member of Hafnia Tankers (2011-2014). Prior to joining Blackstone, he was Special Projects and portfolio manager, fundamental equity at Xaraf Management LLC; Fund Manager (MSIM) and PM, Analyst & Trader (MSCO, MSdB), at Morgan Stanley; and Trader, at Susquehanna International Group and Trader, Susquehanna Investment Group in Chicago, where he became at that time the youngest full member of the CBOE. While facing his major health challenge, he narrowed his focus to the most synergistic partnerships, investments and projects, as a Special Partner at Callaway Capital Management and as an Investor/Entrepreneur/Advisor at Qualign LLC.

Remarkable curiosity and an insatiable desire to learn were hallmarks of Bob's extraordinarily complex mind. Speakers at his Remembrance service extolled his quick and insightful intellect, wisdom, good judgment, prodigious memory, kindness, good humor and broad, ready smile. They also stressed that he was humble and principled, with unwavering integrity.

Passionate about his work, fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Bob read widely and deeply and had a genuine interest in other people and in mentoring them. His range of interests included all things technical, science, coding, Formula One, films, karaoke, music, rugby, soccer and ice hockey. In his desire to learn everything he could—about both things and people—he sought out new concepts and different perspectives, then applied what he learned to his own understanding of life.

Bob's value system was based in his love of and dedication to his family—Anyika, Aliyah and Elijah—with particular priority given to teaching his children new things and helping to guide them into becoming good people.