Jun 22, 2026 – 5.00amWhen high-profile stock picker Phil King texted Jackson Aldridge out of the blue, asking him for a coffee, Aldridge genuinely thought it was a prank. The pair had crossed paths at Sydney lunches where analysts pitched stock ideas and later “laughed at the loser” over the results.But the text was not a joke. For the 31-year-old Aldridge – a former US college basketball player – it was a shot at the big leagues. Over a coffee in the Gateway building at Circular Quay, just weeks before his wedding in 2023, Aldridge had an informal audition with the Regal Partners co-founder.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles