Famous Traders & Investors

Public-record history and lessons from market legends.

1. Legendary Value Investors — Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett and John Templeton built fortunes by buying good assets for less than they were worth. Here is what each did, their best-known ideas and what their records show.
2. Growth Investing Pioneers — Growth investors look for companies that can expand earnings for years. Here are the pioneers, from Philip Fisher and T. Rowe Price to Peter Lynch and William O’Neil, and the ideas they left behind.
3. Great Traders and Speculators — Some of the most famous names in markets made their fortunes trading, not buying and holding. Here are Jesse Livermore, George Soros, Paul Tudor Jones and others, and what their stories teach.
4. Famous Fund Managers — Some fund managers changed how everyone invests. Here are John Bogle, who brought index funds to individuals; Jim Simons, the quant with the best record ever reported; Ray Dalio; and a modern cautionary tale.
5. Notable Blowups and What They Teach — Brilliant people have lost billions through leverage, concentration and overconfidence. Here are the most instructive blowups, from Long-Term Capital Management to Archegos, and the lessons they share.
6. Traits Great Investors Share — Great investors use very different methods, but they share a handful of habits. Here are the common traits, what they look like in practice and how to build them into your own investing.