Michael A. Silver
Senior Vice President,
Financial Advisor,
Portfolio Management Director,
Alternative Investments Director,
Lending Specialist
Direct:
(212) 271-0458(212) 271-0458
My Mission Statement
Understanding the unique needs of high net worth clients like you
Welcome
As a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley, I provide investment advice to high net worth individuals, and families. My decades in Investment Management, including many years as the Head Trader at multi-billion dollar hedge funds, provides my clients with distinctive guidance in managing risk and helping grow wealth.
Along with my team, The New York Fourth Avenue Group which was featured on the 2025 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams List, we deliver a broad range of Morgan Stanley Wealth management services like creating customized asset allocation strategies. I have been named a Portfolio Management Director and Lending Specialist for the firm. Other services include financial, tax-efficient and estate planning strategies, and alternative investments. Based on my extensive experience in Hedge Funds and Private Equity transactions, I have been named an Alternatives Investment Director.
I received a BS in Finance from Lehigh University in 1988, and an MBA from Babson College in 1992. My career began in 1992 as a clerk on the American Stock Exchange for the Specialist firm Spear Leeds & Kellogg. After that, I spent the next 15 years as the Head Trader at Och Ziff Capital management and Aurelius Capital Management.
I live on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, where I raised three kids, Johnny, Davis, and Clint. I usually get a few Western ski trips in each winter, and enjoy plenty of golf rounds in the summer. My wife and I practice Yoga actively.
Disclosure: Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Jan 2025) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based for the period from 3/31/23-3/31/24.
Securities Agent: SD, HI, CT, WI, WA, UT, MO, IL, AL, TX, AR, WV, VT, VA, SC, PR, OR, ME, GA, DE, LA, PA, OK, KS, CO, NJ, CA, AZ, NM, NC, MA, OH, MD, FL, DC, WY, RI, NY, NV, NH, MT, MI; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1680478
NMLS#: 1680478
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*
Alternative Investments
Our leading alternatives platform offers 200+ third-party and proprietary funds, including first look and exclusive opportunities, that may help qualified investors enhance returns, reduce volatility, manage taxes and generate income—while maintaining a goals-based approach for asset allocation.
Morgan Stanley Alternative Investments
Private Markets
Many of today’s companies stay private longer, with more of their valuation being created before they become publicly traded. Morgan Stanley Private Markets connects a broad network of potential private investors in an accessible ecosystem, allowing eligible clients to buy and sell securities of private companies.
Morgan Stanley Private Markets
Financial Planning & Estate Planning Strategies
The Wealth Planning Centers is a team within Morgan Stanley Wealth Management that serves as “virtual” team members for Financial Advisors to assist in creating tailored solutions to help preserve and transfer wealth.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy Management supports individuals, families and private foundations by offering a suite of services to help define and realize clients' charitable missions.
Ultra High Net Worth Lending
Lending consultation takes a deeper look at how you borrow money and manage cash to help you better position yourself to pursue your goals.
Our clients understand that decisions they make around company stock and options are some of the most consequential they’ll face in their financial life.
You may be asking yourself:
• How well do I understand my equity compensation and the strategies that exist to maximize its value?
• Am I being as smart as my managers and coworkers with my equity compensation? Should I be making different choices based on my specific situation?
• How do I turn my company equity into something I can enjoy?
• Can I afford to leave my company, and how should I plan for that?
• What the heck is the Alternative Minimum Tax
• How well do I understand my equity compensation and the strategies that exist to maximize its value?
• Am I being as smart as my managers and coworkers with my equity compensation? Should I be making different choices based on my specific situation?
• How do I turn my company equity into something I can enjoy?
• Can I afford to leave my company, and how should I plan for that?
• What the heck is the Alternative Minimum Tax
How we can help
Understanding how your stock or option plan works is only the first step. We work with you articulate specific goals such as diversification, tax management, charitable gifting, or simply having enough cash to live on while you wait for an exit. Projecting a variety of multi-year scenarios, we help you make the best decisions you can to maximize this valuable asset.
Why Us?
We are part of a small group of Morgan Stanley advisors trained and experienced in these complex issues and have tools and resources that stand out among your choices in selecting a financial advisor.
Overview
At Morgan Stanley Investment Management, we are a leading provider of alternative investment strategies with expertise that spans across private equity, private credit, hedge funds, and real estate. I am dedicated to serving the unique needs of clients by delivering exceptional portfolios and custom alternative investment programs.
Our alternative investments teams pursue a broad range of strategies in diverse markets and geographies, yet they share a common perspective on value creation. Over the long term, the best means to deliver attractive, uncorrelated returns is to focus on segments where specialized expertise and a partnership approach is rewarded; structural dislocation, capital supply/demand imbalances and complexity prevail; and Morgan Stanley's resources and reputation provide unique sourcing, information and value-creation advantages. We avoid segments where we believe the competition for alpha is high, the supply of capital is abundant and the potential to deliver differentiated strategies and investment opportunities is low.
Our alternative investments teams pursue a broad range of strategies in diverse markets and geographies, yet they share a common perspective on value creation. Over the long term, the best means to deliver attractive, uncorrelated returns is to focus on segments where specialized expertise and a partnership approach is rewarded; structural dislocation, capital supply/demand imbalances and complexity prevail; and Morgan Stanley's resources and reputation provide unique sourcing, information and value-creation advantages. We avoid segments where we believe the competition for alpha is high, the supply of capital is abundant and the potential to deliver differentiated strategies and investment opportunities is low.
Private Equity Funds
Private market investment approaches, such as private company buyouts, growth equity and venture capital generally seek higher growth and additional diversification relative to traditional equity markets.
Learn More
Private Credit Funds
Private corporate lending and private real estate lending offer the potential for higher income relative to traditional fixed income markets; additionally, distressed credit investing may serve as an opportunistic means of generating risk-adjusted growth.
Learn More
Single Manager Hedge Funds
Hedged strategies can help manage portfolio volatility, while seeking enhanced risk-adjusted returns relative to traditional equity and fixed income markets.
Learn More
Real Estate Funds / Real Assets
Assets such as private real estate and infrastructure offer investors the potential for both appreciation growth and tax-advantaged income while helping to mitigate inflation risk over time.
Learn MoreFamily Wealth Planning
Estate Planning Strategies
Working with our wealth centers team we look at all aspects of an individual's estate to understand the potential estate planning attributes of the vehicles. The goal is to make more informed investment decisions for the client by looking at their estate plan holistically.
Learn More
Talking to your kids about money
Many affluent parents dread talking with their kids
about money, here are 10 tips on how to make that conversation easier.
Read Moreabout money, here are 10 tips on how to make that conversation easier.
Single Family Office Capabilities and Considerations
Serving prominent families across the nation, we are positioned to set performance benchmarks and share best practices across the industry.
Learn More
Insights and Outcomes eBook
This edition examines a variety of topics, including fostering leadership, innovation in AI, minimizing your digital footprint, flexibility through directed trusts, tennis for health and wellness, and perspectives in philanthropy. We hope you find the articles relevant and inspiring.
Read Here
Charitable Giving Overview
A person may make gifts to charitable organizations and
may receive income, gift and/or estate tax charitable
deductions. Learn how to make your giving go further.
Learn Moremay receive income, gift and/or estate tax charitable
deductions. Learn how to make your giving go further.
Health and Wellness Education Fact Sheet
Personalized services to help you and your family's address your most important health-related challenges, interests, and aspirations.
Learn MoreLocation
399 Park Ave 12th
Fl
New York, NY 10022
US
Direct:
(212) 271-0458(212) 271-0458
Wealth Management
From My Desk
Aligning Jewish Values With Philanthropy and Investing
This is a video content
Investing
Working closely with you to guide your wealth and investments through the most challenging market cycles.
- Asset Management
- Wealth Planning
- Traditional Investments
- Alternative Investments
- Impact Investing
The Robots are Coming
Article Image
Business Planning
Helping you on key aspects of your business such as ownership, liquidity and developing opportunities.
- Succession Planning
- Business Planning
- Qualified Retirement Plans
Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business
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Financial Wellness
Enhancing Financial Wellness enables your workforce to do their best work. Companies that invest in financial wellness have an opportunity to:
- Reduce employee stress,
- Improve retention and engagement, and
- Set themselves apart by offering comprehensive financial wellness benefits.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact Michael A. Silver today.
1Alternative Investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his/her investment. Alternative investments are appropriate only for qualified, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time.
For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.
2Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences or review our Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships brochure available at www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.
3Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.
Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
4Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.
Check the background of our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck*.
The information, products and services described here are intended only for individuals residing in states where this Financial Advisor is properly registered as described in this site.
Morgan Stanley reserves the right, to the extent permitted under applicable law, to retain and monitor all electronic communications. Morgan Stanley will not accept purchase or sale orders via any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. Morgan Stanley does not endorse and is not responsible and assumes no liability for content, products or services posted by third-parties on any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. All electronic communications are subject to terms available at the following link:
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclaimers/mswm-email.html. Any profiles and associated content are for U.S. residents only.
The securities/instruments, services, investments and investment strategies discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment, investment strategy or service will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, strategies and services, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) is not implying an affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement with/of the third party or that any monitoring is being done by Morgan Stanley of any information contained within the website. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information contained on the third-party website or the use of or inability to use such site. Nor do we guarantee their accuracy or completeness.
The views, opinions or advice contained within third party websites or materials are solely those of the author, who is not a Morgan Stanley employee, and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, or its affiliates. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be appropriate for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.
*References to length of service at Morgan Stanley include years at Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
The use of the CDFA designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney. The CDFA designation is not intended to imply that either Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors are acting as experts in this field.
Awards Disclosures
For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.
2Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences or review our Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships brochure available at www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.
3Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.
Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
4Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.
Check the background of our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck*.
The information, products and services described here are intended only for individuals residing in states where this Financial Advisor is properly registered as described in this site.
Morgan Stanley reserves the right, to the extent permitted under applicable law, to retain and monitor all electronic communications. Morgan Stanley will not accept purchase or sale orders via any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. Morgan Stanley does not endorse and is not responsible and assumes no liability for content, products or services posted by third-parties on any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. All electronic communications are subject to terms available at the following link:
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclaimers/mswm-email.html. Any profiles and associated content are for U.S. residents only.
The securities/instruments, services, investments and investment strategies discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment, investment strategy or service will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, strategies and services, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) is not implying an affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement with/of the third party or that any monitoring is being done by Morgan Stanley of any information contained within the website. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information contained on the third-party website or the use of or inability to use such site. Nor do we guarantee their accuracy or completeness.
The views, opinions or advice contained within third party websites or materials are solely those of the author, who is not a Morgan Stanley employee, and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, or its affiliates. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be appropriate for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.
*References to length of service at Morgan Stanley include years at Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
The use of the CDFA designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney. The CDFA designation is not intended to imply that either Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors are acting as experts in this field.
Awards Disclosures
CRC 6491812 (04/2024)
