But when we needed a logo for Wanger Asset Management, we decided that since we care for acorns a lot, a squirrel would be a good symbol. A squirrel is also an interesting animal. It's not the strongest or smartest animal in the forest, but it is a very successful animal. There are squirrels in every country because they are adaptable and opportunistic. For a small-stock manager, that's a good symbol.
Tigers are brave and beautiful, but they're nearly extinct.
And bulls are strong and powerful, but they wind up as a beef patty between slices of bread. But squirrels are all over the place. Wanger has stayed pretty much in one place. He has spent the last 30 years at the helm of Acorn Fund, an accomplishment very few portfolio managers can boast. He wanted to be mayor, and at no time did he confuse himself by wanting to be something else.