Hedge funds are in the vanguard of a financial revolution. Once little-known and secretive fringe forces, hedge funds have become leading actors in the reshaping of the corporate world. As active investors capable of mobilising billions of dollars of capital, these new institutions have become enormously powerful as well as impressively innovative.

So it is only fitting that the Financial Times - which aims to be essential reading for the business and financial community around the world - is today publishing a special report on hedge funds. This report includes a table of the 100 most prominent hedge funds, a list that offers fascinating insights into the new breed of financiers challenging the traditional forces in the City of London, on Wall Street and other leading financial centres.