William Blanton

William "Billy" Blanton is a San Diego–based wealth advisor whose career bridges professional football and investment management. Before finance, he was one of Southern California's most celebrated young quarterbacks: he was named Southern California's top high school football player in 1991, set a touchdown-pass record at Mater Dei High School that still stands, and went on to play quarterback at San Diego State University, where he was later inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame (2015). Citing his 6-foot, 175-pound frame and the physical toll of the sport, he passed on pursuing an NFL career and moved into financial services.

Blanton began his advisory career at Merrill Lynch in 1998, rising from financial advisor to branch office manager, before joining Morgan Stanley's Wealth Management Group in 2007. After roughly 13 years inside the wirehouse world — managing about $170 million in client assets — he went independent, joining Washington Wealth Management's Carmel Valley office in August 2012. At the time he framed the move around fiduciary alignment, telling InvestmentNews, "Over the last couple of years, I've felt there was a conflict of interest working for a public company."

He subsequently founded and led Vintage West Capital Management, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser in the San Diego area (Encinitas / Rancho Santa Fe) offering tax, retirement, banking, investment management, and broader financial advisory services. Vintage West later combined with / transitioned into Composition Wealth, where Blanton now serves as a Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor. He holds a bachelor's degree in Public Administration from San Diego State University and has more than 20 years of experience in investment management.

• Primarily a wealth and investment manager for private clients rather than a high-volume startup angel; the "Angel Investor / Seed Round" label reflects personal-capital investing on the side. No publicly documented startup thesis statement was found.
• Built his practice on a fiduciary, independent-advisor philosophy, explicitly leaving a public wirehouse over perceived conflicts of interest — suggesting an emphasis on alignment and trust.
• Background indicates generalist, relationship-driven investing rooted in the San Diego business community rather than a narrow sector or thesis.
• No public record of specific check sizes, sector mandates, or a stated screening process for early-stage deals.