Follow the path of a numbers-oriented young man through a start-stop career on Wall Street that includes involvement with the 1980 Hunt Silver Crisis, the 1987 Stock Market Crash, the 1999 fall from grace of a guru hedge fund manager, the mysterious death of a famous international banker, life working for a short-crazed global value equity manager, and a path into the world of retail-oriented wealth management. Is it all true? No, but it could be-loosely crafted historical fiction based on an actual career that spanned three decades-a period where derivatives trading went from non-existent to big business.
“Not all financial careers are the peachy-keen easy ones. This is an important story that reads more like fact than fiction across the huge exponential growth of derivatives trading and the repeated financial crises of the past 35 years. I was fascinated by all the constant twists and turns, and the characters encountered. Well done!”
“There is little doubt that fractal rhythms and cycles exist in markets. In the spirit of the recent popular movie The Forecaster, the author touches upon some of these rhythms through his unique market experiences. A thrilling view from the front lines of markets from the 1980 Hunt Silver Crisis through to the medicated, ‘Politburo’ markets of today.”
David von Leib has worked on Wall Street his entire career since an early start on the Floor of the New York Stock Exchange at age 16. After graduating from Princeton University, he was one of the first traders of over-the-counter derivatives at a major New York bank, later worked for several investment banks, and then moved into the hedge fund world over the past fifteen years. He has been on the front lines of multiple financial crises, and believes that markets behave akin to the weather where fractal forces can combine into sudden hurricane-like behavior. He is the proud father of three children, and lives with his wife in Northern New Jersey.
Read Mr. von Leib's March 2016 blog post, "BDC Losses, MLPs and REITs - Slow Motion Melt" on ValueWalk.com.