> born 1938 in cambridge, massachusetts
> math prodigy, gets a PhD from @UCBerkeley at 23
> cracks codes for the NSA during the cold war
> publishes chern-simons theory, one of the most cited math papers ever
> quits academia at 40 to start trading
> founds renaissance technologies in 1982
> hires mathematicians, physicists, and codebreakers
> launches the medallion fund in 1988, closed to outside investors
> 66% average annual returns before fees for three decades
> charges 5 and 44: five times the industry standard and still crushes
> the greatest track record in investing history
> worth $ 31B+ at his peak
> gives away billions to math, science, and autism research
> dies in may 2024 at age 86
> never gave a single interview about his trading strategy
Jim Simons is someone to remember