I like to know what you think were the great investors in the past 100 years. How did he become so successful in investing? What methods did he use? What can we learn from them?
Investing is perhaps the best way to make money!
Shouldnt you be playing cricket?
I can give you two names:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Lauriston_Livermore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros
I agree that George Soros was perhaps one of the best investors, however, for some unknown reason, he seems to have a really bad reputation. Do you happen to know why?
George Soros supports progressive foundations.
Progressive foundations support redistribution of wealth.
George Soros supports redistribution of wealth.
That's why he has a bad reputation.
George Soros supports progressive foundations. Progressive foundations support redistribution of wealth. George Soros supports redistribution of wealth.
Would you like to qualify that? Technically, it could be invalid unless it's more explicitly stated.
rosstaylor: I agree that George Soros was perhaps one of the best investors, however, for some unknown reason, he seems to have a really bad reputation. Do you happen to know why?
One of the first things in his wiki bio states "former member of the Board of Directors of the CFR". Whether justified or not, that affiliation alone is enough to garner disrespect in many circles.
One of the greatest, least known investors of the XX century was Fujisawa Takeo.
Fujisawa started his career in 1934 as a salesman for Mitsuwa, a steel products dealer. This involved a great deal of what we may call speculation as steel prices were subject to sharp and sudden fluctuactions. He soon became the company's top saleman and when the company president was recalled for military duty in 1937 he took over. He managed to pilot Mitsuwa succesfully during the early war years. In 1942 his boss returned and he asked to be "bought out" of the company. He set up a machine tool business which attracted the attention of Nakajima, the engine and aircraft manufacturer. After the war he set up a timber and construction equipment supply business which flourished despite the tight controls imposed by the US. In 1949 he asked one of his old business partners from Nakajima (now called Fuji Heavy Industries) for a list of promising companies which were deemed worthy of investment. One of these companies was the newborn Honda Motor Co. In late 1949 Fujisawa met up with Honda Soichiro. Honda had the right ideas but lacked the capitals to implement them. More critically, he had little control over his finances. Fujisawa put up over a million yen of his own money and joined Honda Motor Co as its managing director. The rest is history as they say. Fujisawa not only saw the potential for investment, but also brought his skills to a company which had the right ideas but lacked a competent management. Does he qualify as an investor? He saw a golden opportunity and put his own money into it. That's called investment.
You mean that you want me to say instead: "Although George Soros is an extremely successful spectulator funds the Center for American Progress, MoveOn.org, and Democracy Alliance, and he used to be a member of the Board of Directors of the CFR."
Has anyone also noticed that some of the great investors are generally "libertarian" minded?
rosstaylor: Has anyone also noticed that some of the great investors are generally "libertarian" minded?
Exactly, using 'all' would be unsound, and using 'some' would end up being invalid on the Venn diagrams. It's usually best not to try and syllogize these sorts of things; the ambiguity lends itself to being taken out of context.