Famous Traders - Stories From the Street

History is riddled with stories of famous traders and fortunes amassed, and in some cases lost, in the markets. These stories show us a diversity of human emotion - ambition, greed, fear and sometimes even outright foolishness. Some of these traders have managed to achieve incredible returns with the consistency of a fine Swiss watch, while others have lost fortunes by taking on excess risk and making foolish bets in the markets.

Voltaire once wrote “Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?” We hope you will find this collection of stories to be an entertaining journey into the motives of these famous traders, and perhaps in some cases, serve as cautionary tales.

Trader profiles

William O'Neil

William O'Neil has been the authoritative voice of investors and stockbrokers all across the United States ever since he formed William O'Neil & Company in 1963; today the company works exclusively with institutional investors. Read more...

Larry Hite

Lawrence D. Hite is a trailblazing investor who actively shaped the upcoming landscape of system trading as early as the 1980s. During his tenure with Mint Investment Management Company, he helped propel the commodity trading advisor to become the very... Read more...

Jack Schwager

Jack D. Schwager first entered the market in 1971. Since then, he has become a highly respected director of futures research and also a well known profiler of investment greats – many of whom he met while trading for Commodities Corporation. Read more...

Jesse Livermore

Jesse Lauriston Livermore was an active trader during the famous stock market crashes of 1907 and 1929. He amassed a personal fortune totaling more than $100 million in 1929, and just a few short years later lost it all. Read more...

Martin Schwartz

Martin S. Schwartz, known in the stock trade as Buzzy, is a formidable day trader who serves as example to virtually all aspiring stock traders. His first year as an independent stock trader netted him $600,000; he doubled this figure... Read more...

Alexander Elder

Alexander Elder, M.D. is a native Russian who defected to the United States at the tender age of 23. He has since worked as a New York City psychiatrist, Columbia University professor, and expert stock trader. Read more...