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  • The Man Who Solved the Market

  • How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution
  • Written by: Gregory Zuckerman
  • Narrated by: Will Damron
  • Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (197 ratings)

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The Man Who Solved the Market

Written by: Gregory Zuckerman
Narrated by: Will Damron
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Publisher's Summary

New York Times best seller

Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award

The perfect gift for the avid reader on your list: the unbelievable story of a secretive mathematician who pioneered the era of the algorithm - and made $23 billion doing it.

Jim Simons is the greatest money maker in modern financial history. No other investor - Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, Ray Dalio, Steve Cohen, or George Soros - can touch his record. Since 1988, Renaissance's signature Medallion fund has generated average annual returns of 66 percent. The firm has earned profits of more than $100 billion; Simons is worth 23 billion dollars. 

Drawing on unprecedented access to Simons and dozens of current and former employees, Zuckerman, a veteran Wall Street Journal investigative reporter, tells the gripping story of how a world-class mathematician and former code breaker mastered the market. Simons pioneered a data-driven, algorithmic approach that's sweeping the world. 

As Renaissance became a market force, its executives began influencing the world beyond finance. Simons became a major figure in scientific research, education, and liberal politics. Senior executive Robert Mercer is more responsible than anyone else for the Trump presidency, placing Steve Bannon in the campaign and funding Trump's victorious 2016 effort. Mercer also impacted the campaign behind Brexit.

The Man Who Solved the Market is a portrait of a modern-day Midas who remade markets in his own image, but failed to anticipate how his success would impact his firm and his country. It's also a story of what Simons' revolution means for the rest of us.

Includes a PDF of Appendices 1 and 2 with charts

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Gregory Zuckerman (P)2019 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

"A gripping biography of investment game changer Jim Simons...readers looking to understand how the economy got where it is should eat this up." (Publishers Weekly)

"Worthwhile reading for budding plutocrats and numerate investors alike." (Kirkus)

"Zuckerman vividly tells the story of how Jim Simons and his team of scientists developed the most successful quantitative trading operation in history.... Immensely enjoyable." (Edward O. Thorp, author of A Man for All Markets)

What listeners say about The Man Who Solved the Market

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good book, can't get much details of the how to

The book is a good window into the early days of quantz and trading. But obviously Renaissance is so secretive it doesn't really give much details of the how to, just how things progressed. There's also a very political chapter at the end which doesn't have much to do with Simons nor Renaissance.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very interesting insights

Like most readers of the book. I want to find out if there is a way to crack the market. It seems they found it. Even tho I wonder if using the modern day ML algorithms we can do something similar, without a doubt I know it’s not a one man job. It requires dedications and lucks of very sophisticated professionals in the field. It’s humbling to know how they reached what they achieved today and the chemical reactions of different inputs and personalities. Thanks for the inside view and the candid sharing of those involved.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good read but didn't meet an expectation.

My expectations were along the lines of investment principles or methodologies. Instead, I learned about a market game changer, Jim Simmons and his gang.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Deep Coverage of Secretive Hedge Fund

Great reporting on a company that has escaped broader coverage. Covers a long period to give a complete picture.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Seb
  • 2019-12-11

Thorough, thought-provoking, inspiring

Zuckerman has an ability to turn what could have been a boring story about a bunch of math PhDs into an academic adventure. I thought he did an excellent job showing the persistence and dedication Simons and his team had to achieving greatest in the financial industry. I was surprise by how many people were responsible for the funds success. I have only one major critique: non-fictional work should avoid some of the political opinions given especially nearing the end of the book. You did a great job collect facts and pursuing accurate details, why ruin that effort with politics and subjective opinion.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent book!

Very well written. Inspiring story really well told. It Shows the author but a lot of time and effort to write this.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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An Incredible Story of Jim Simons

filled with tragedy and triumph. A truly fascinating story on how Jim Simons started one of the greatest, most secretive, and most successful asset management firms in the world. He is truly an outlier. I loved it so much I've listened to it 3 times already.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Easy and enjoyable listen

Very informative about the emergence of a new approach to trading. Interesting characters. Difficult subject matter made accessible—though if you’re looking for technical details, this book isn’t it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book

Will damron narration is always fantastic. Good book and great story. Saw Jim’s yacht on victoria harbour last year great to hear the story of the man

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