Introduction: About Myself

This may have been true in the early days of the web, but these days people are smarter and more cynical. These days, people assume that you’re a dog unless you can prove otherwise. Much as I would like the ideas on this blog to stand on their own, I fear I will have to provide some shamelessly self-promotional biographical detail. So, a few words about myself:

I joined a hedge fund at the age of 21. By 23 I was a junior trader; by 25 I had my own portfolio; by 27 I was a millionaire; and by 30 I had retired. I closed out the last of my positions on my 30th birthday and walked away with my winnings intact. A large chunk of my success can be put down to simply being in the right place at the right time, but I like to think that skill played a small part too.

This was a few years ago. Since then, I have traveled the world, played a great deal of tennis, and become a father. I still follow the markets constantly, partly so that I can invest my own money productively, but mostly because I’m addicted. To keep myself busy, I write this and two other blogs; I run managed accounts for a few close friends and family; I consult for a variety of industry players; and I’m a principal at a small private-equity fund.

And about my professional expertise:

I cut my teeth in fixed income arbitrage, a field in which I consider myself an expert. I have traded relative value as well as directionally, in rates, currencies and commodities, and I think I am reasonably competent at all of these. My specialty is the design and analysis of quantitative trading strategies, with a strong minor in global macro and thematic investing.

I am not an equity trader and claim no expertise in stock-picking.

Of course, gentle reader, you have no way to tell that the above prose was not, in fact, written by a dog.