RobecoSAM, the asset manager specialized in sustainable investments has been in Japanese hands for the past two years. It might all have been different though: The man, who almost became U.S. president was also very close to buy SAM Group.

SAM Group in 20 years of existence earned a name as specialist in sustainable investments. The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, invented and promoted by SAM, became industry benchmarks for sustainable investments.

The history of the group nevertheless wasn't as straightforward as this. The biggest upset was the decision by longtime owner Rabobank in 2012 to sell asset management unit Robeco and thus also SAM Group. Orix Corporation bought the business in 2013 and SAM was renamed RobecoSAM.

Ringger's Baby

There was a first twist in 2009, when SAM-founder Reto Ringger left the group to pursue his Globalance Bank project. Ringger started SAM in 1995 when the business idea of sustainable investments was barely known and developed the company into the leading provider of sustainable products.

Ringger had already sold the majority of his SAM-shares to Rabobank's Robeco unit in 2006 as he sought to expand his company across the boarders.

A Flirt But No Marriage

It might all have been very different and SAM could have ended up in the hands of Al Gore (pictured), almost successor of Bill Clinton as president. U.S. magazine «The Atlantic» explained the story in a recent portrait of the former vice-president.

Al Gore, who won by number of votes but not at the Supreme Court in 2000, started a career in finances and developed the plan to buy SAM Group. In his second career as co-owner of an asset management company, Al Gore made a fortune. Generation, the company of Al Gore, also focuses on sustainable investments.

Reinventing Himself

After his bitter defeat, Al Gore had to reinvent himself. He had spent all his professional life on Capitol Hill, starting in 1977 as representative for Tennessee. When he left the White House on January 20, 2001, he didn't really know what to do, according to «The Atlantic».

Gore became a well known face of the environmental movement, earning him a Nobel Prize in 2007. But that's only one side of the truth. The Harvard graduate with the keen sense of how capitalism works developped a business network, reaching far into Silicon Valley.

He was named member of the Apple board and became consultant to Google. Later, he launched TV channel Current TV and sold it 2013 to Al Jazeera to the tune of several hundred million dollars.

No Cash - No Say

Al Gore however is mainly an ardent supporter of a capitalism that sets financial incentives for business to behave sustainably, both in terms of society and the environment.

The former politician knew only too well that in capitalism those with the cash have the biggest say, so he had to make money. Metropolitan West, an asset manager, offered him the chance to achieve that und by 2003, Gore had enough to pursue his dream of a sustainable capitalism.

He eyed up Zurich-based SAM Group and was determined to invest in the company, according to the report. Instead, he met David Blood, then head of asset management at Goldman Sachs. Blood wanted to leave and together with Gore considered buying SAM.

After careful deliberation, they opted to take five more partners on board and found their own company – Generation.