Shawn Matthews isn't a name you hear in every coffee shop, but in the halls of Wall Street, it carries a lot of weight. He spent nearly a decade steering the ship at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. as CEO and President. That’s not a small job. We’re talking about overseeing more than 100 affiliated entities during a time when the global economy was basically a house of cards.
Most people remember him for the way he aggressively grew Cantor’s footprint. He helped transform them into one of the elite few—specifically one of only 22 primary government bond traders for the U.S. Treasury. It was a massive win. But honestly, if you look at where he is now in early 2026, his time at Cantor feels like just the first act.
The Cantor Fitzgerald Years: More Than Just Growth
Matthews joined Cantor Fitzgerald back in 2005. He didn't start at the top, though. He cut his teeth as Head of Capital Markets and Head of Mortgage Trading. When he was tapped for the CEO role in 2009, the world was still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis.
Talk about a trial by fire.
He didn't just play defense. While other firms were shrinking, Matthews pushed Cantor to take more risks. He built out the firm’s risk-taking businesses and shepherded them through the post-crisis regulations that buried some of their competitors. By the time he left in 2018, the firm was exponentially larger than when he started.
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It wasn't always smooth sailing, though. There were public shifts, like when Cantor Fitzgerald Wealth Partners had to "recalibrate" after some leadership exits. Matthews famously stepped in, took it as a "personal challenge," and refocused the recruitment strategy to target specific fee-based advisors. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty with the day-to-day operations when a division needed a fix.
Why He Left and What Happened Next
In April 2018, Matthews made a move that surprised a lot of people: he walked away. He was replaced by Anshu Jain, the former co-CEO of Deutsche Bank. Why leave a powerhouse like Cantor?
Basically, he wanted to build something of his own.
He launched Hondius Capital Management in 2019. It wasn't just a pivot; it was a total reimagining of how he wanted to interact with the markets. Since then, he’s been popping up in some really interesting places. Recently, in late 2025 and into 2026, he’s been heavily involved with Predictive Oncology (POAI), joining their board and even chairing a Cryptocurrency Subcommittee.
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Wait—a bond guy doing crypto?
It actually makes sense. Matthews has always been a fintech and infrastructure bull. Whether it’s AI-driven drug discovery or digital asset treasury strategies, he seems to be hunting for "generational trades." That’s a term he uses a lot. It’s about finding those massive shifts that only happen once every few decades.
A New Chapter in Energy and Infrastructure
One of the coolest things he’s done lately involves nuclear energy. He led a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that took a small nuclear reactor developer public. He’s been vocal about how AI data centers are going to suck up so much energy that we basically have no choice but to go nuclear.
- Hondius Capital Management: His home base since 2019.
- Predictive Oncology: Where he's currently helping with digital asset strategies.
- Nuclear Tech: A massive focus for him heading into 2026.
He’s not just a "finance guy" anymore. He’s leaning into the intersection of energy, technology, and capital.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Him
You might see the "former Cantor Fitzgerald CEO" tag and think he’s just another corporate suit. But if you listen to his interviews on CNBC or Bloomberg, he’s a lot more nuanced. He talks about world peace, climate change, and energy security as factors that actually drive the markets.
He’s a Fairfield University and Hofstra MBA grad, but his real education clearly came from the 1990s at Wertheim Schroder & Co. and running his own hedge fund, Alchemist Capital, before he even got to Cantor. He’s seen the market from every possible angle—trader, manager, CEO, and now, serial sponsor.
Actionable Insights from the Matthews Playbook
If you’re looking at how Shawn Matthews operates to improve your own strategy, there are a few things to take away:
- Pivot when you’re at the top. He left Cantor while it was thriving to build Hondius. Don't wait for a crisis to start your next big thing.
- Follow the energy. His move into nuclear tech isn't a random hobby. It’s a calculated bet on the infrastructure needed to support AI.
- Governance matters. His current roles on boards (like Predictive Oncology) show that he values the "boring" stuff—committee structures and treasury strategy—as much as the flashy trades.
- Embrace the "Generational Trade." Stop looking at the next quarter. Look at where the world has to go in ten years.
Whether you're following his moves in the SPAC market or watching his work with digital assets, it's clear that the "Shawn Matthews Cantor Fitzgerald" era was just the foundation. He’s currently building a much more complex legacy that bridges the gap between old-school Wall Street and the high-tech future of 2026.
To keep tabs on his latest moves, you can follow the SEC filings for Hondius Capital or track the board updates at Predictive Oncology. Keeping an eye on the Cryptocurrency Subcommittee reports will likely give you the best view into how he’s blending traditional finance with the digital future.