Hedge firm TCI's profits surge, tough year ahead

* Full-year profit of 555.9 mln stg, most goes to charity

* Founder Hohn's pay more than doubles to 1.7 mln stg

* Warns markets will have "material impact" on income

By Laurence Fletcher

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - Activist hedge fund firm TCI (The Children's Investment fund), which launched an attack on ABN AMRO in 2007 that helped trigger the Dutch bank's sale, has seen profits surge 73 percent but warned this year will be tougher.

The Children's Investment Fund Management (UK) LLP reported profit available for sharing among members of 555.9 million pounds ($914 million) for the year to end-August 2008, up from 321.0 million pounds a year before. The firm paid 484.3 million pounds to its charity CIFF (The Children's Investment Fund Foundation), up from 271.4 million pounds a year before.

Founder and controlling partner Chris Hohn saw his pay more than double to 1.7 million pounds, while remuneration to other members fell to 44.3 million pounds from 48.9 million pounds.

TCI's financial year to August only partly coincides with what was a difficult 2008 for hedge funds.