When we heard that Paul Tudor Jones had given a commencement speech to the graduating class at the Buckley School on the topic of failure, we feared it'd be some sort of personal growth exercise in which PTJ blathered on about the trauma of last year, and how even though he was down and out, he came back triumphant in '09 (because Tudor BVI Global only lost about 4.5 percent for 2008, a relative win compared to his colleagues in the field, PTJ would have the strength to talk about the humbling experience, unlike those who did considerably worse and aren't ready to go there). Apparently, not so much.
Instead, he told a room of 14 year old boys and their parents about the time he got left at the altar. And what he learned from not being able to rescue a group of underprivileged Bed-Stuy kids from becoming a statistic. At various points he says things like "Failure will give you a tattoo that will stay with you your whole life" and "Shame can be a lifetime companion for which you better prepare yourself." The whole thing is summed up thusly: "Here is the point: you are going to meet the dragon of failure in your life." Not just failure. The DRAGON of failure. The beast of failure. The Loch Ness Monster Of Failure.
So: kind of dark! And a pinch heavier than expected. Nevertheless, actually a very good, moving read (that includes Mardis Gras references and talk of restarting the Civil War). Plus, let's not forget how this story ends: with the greatest show on earth.
Paul Tudor Jones - Failure Speech June 2009
[Paul Kedrosky via Clusterstock]
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 2:55PM
why did he have to mention the kids were african american?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 2:55PM
Was he a bed wetter?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 2:57PM
Yes, refers to the South as "our side" during the War.
Good speech. refreshing to not hear someone talk about how charmed their life's been.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 2:59PM
I am pretty sure that he molested me once at the country club.
Spalding
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:05PM
I'm keepin it real, B, damn. You know I'm just keeping it real.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:06PM
why did he have to mention the kids were african american?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:09PM
Were the kids african american? Were there any young mexican coke shark children in the crowd?
Also, were the kids african american?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:10PM
... and, should you fail enough, you just might be good enough to serve the GOP on Capitol Hill. But that, is only for those of you who can REALLY fuck up...
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:11PM
I bet a coke up Mexican Cocaine Shark would have eaten all those children and not batted an eyelid over that black, black, eye.
Yum.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:12PM
Did you just call me a chimp, friend?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:15PM
I'm not your friend, chimp.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:16PM
We set a date; we sent out the invitations; and all was fantastic until one month before the wedding when her father called me. He said, “Paul, my daughter sat me down this afternoon, and she doesn’t know how to tell you this, but she is really unhappy and thinks it’s time for you two to take a break.” At first I thought he was joking because he was a very funny guy. Then he said, “No, she is serious about this."
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:17PM
@12 damn that's cold
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:17PM
isn't today free for all Friday?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:18PM
I'm not your friend, chimp.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:18PM
Don't call me friend, Chico.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:19PM
@12 bitch had her father call the guy? ouch
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:20PM
I am not a chimp, pal.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:20PM
Don't call me Chico, donkey face.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:21PM
Something tells me the chick who dumped him is kicking herself now after the whole "PTJ turns out to be a billionaire" thing.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:22PM
Kids, I'd like to tell you the time I was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to have a ball lopped off.
-- Larry Robbins
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:22PM
@20 Being dumped drove him to success. She's currently married to a wealthy plumber, Mario, from Greenwich.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:23PM
isn't there a special scholarship at buckley for underprivleged coked up african mexican sharks who suck at basketball?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:23PM
@12 well, I'm sure whoever she did marry is also worth >$3B. Really, he lives in a van? Well, at least she handled it well and didn't burn any bridges. oh wait...
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:25PM
@23 - That's the Quint memorial scholarship. Sponsored by the Cali group.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:27PM
@12 her current husband runs the second best Arby's in providence
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:29PM
@24- Bess should find her and interview HER about failure for DB
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:29PM
What would you do if in the middle of the night you woke up and found Eliot Spitzer in a shark costume wandering around your bedroom? What would you do?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:30PM
"Failure will give you a tatoo that will stay with you your whole life"
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:31PM
"Shame can be a lifetime companion for which you better prepare yourself."
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:31PM
He looks a lot like David Hyde Pierce.
@17 this was before texting.
@24 hedge fund wife is no life. http://dealbreaker.com/2009/06/hedge-fund-wives-being-forced.php
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:32PM
I...I think I've made a terrible mistake.
--PTJ's ex-girlfriend
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:32PM
28- I'll take coke and african american Buckley students for $1000 alex
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:33PM
@28 - depends on whether he's coked up or not. If he is then straight out the window with him. If he leaves Ashley "those breasts never get old" Dupré behind then all the better.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:33PM
@31- she could've called him herself
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:33PM
I sure wish I had gotten this speech instead of the 'Carpe Diem' crap they were handing out at my circa-Dead Poets Society graduation. This may have been useful.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:36PM
@28 - I would encase him in formaldehyde and proudly display him to my coworkers, of course.
...Or, perhaps I would don my lobsterclops costume and ask him to dance.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:38PM
And even if you fail, one day, you too can have Greenwich's Greatest Xmas Spectacular!
http://dealbreaker.com/2008/12/paul-tudor-jones-throws-christ.php
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:42PM
@38 - For Bess.
Old news but ... what the hell does this mean?
"Greenwich police have asked visitors (investors) to say in their cars while checking it out."
Say what? How much they hate Greenwich and Cliffy? Pray tell ..
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:43PM
I sense another literary project. Almost-But-Not-Quite Hedge Fund Wives. The best part about it is that they are already used to buying $13 bottles of Merlot. So they are way ahead of the game.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:44PM
@28 - wtf?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:45PM
@39-- obviously you understand it was a typo that should've read "stay." but yeah, cliff sucks.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:46PM
36,
Did you go to a certain school in Bloomfield Hills, MI?
Posted by Bess Levin , Jun 19, 2009 3:47PM
@40 I like that idea a whole lot.
Posted by merkin capital partners , Jun 19, 2009 3:53PM
what happens when life itself turns out to be the failure?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:54PM
What's with the pinky ring?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:57PM
I'm gettin kinky in your stinky while just usin my pinky...
drops the mike.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 3:59PM
@45 - 1-800- Samaritans - Call NOW!
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:02PM
45>McCann's Bar>OTB>lather>rinse>repeat until death
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:03PM
@Bess- I'm here for the hug (and maybe the copping of a feel?)
-PTJ
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:07PM
The pinky ring-- kinda gay
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:07PM
good speech
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:07PM
Is he hiring?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:10PM
I can only imagine Greg O'Melia's face during that. Priceless. Nice speach. Did not know he was a dad.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:13PM
Buckley is a great school. PTJ is an admirable commencement speaker and that was a well written and inspirational speech. Not really worthy of parody. My 2 cents. But I have a bias.
Posted by Bess Levin , Jun 19, 2009 4:21PM
@55 1. Everything is worthy of parody (also: do you know what a parody is? This wasn't one). 2. Thank you for failing to grasp that, in spite of thing being darker than I would've expected, I expressly stated that I enjoyed the speech. My 2 cents.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:25PM
4 cents, 1 cup.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:25PM
Get'em Bess! Get em!!
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:37PM
I always like it when the writer comments on the comments. Sorta matacomment stuff.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:39PM
It's "meta," not "mata."
Posted by MichelleObamasPenIsMightier , Jun 19, 2009 4:41PM
Come here Paul, let me give you a blumpkin. It'll make everything allllright.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 4:50PM
Been a surge in real people commenting in this blog lately. Makes me feel I'm in the wrong place.
Posted by Anal_yst , Jun 19, 2009 4:57PM
@62
Where are these so-called "real people" of which you speak?
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 5:18PM
@63 well there was the soon to be Internet Czar Meg Ryan for one
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 5:27PM
Bess, you are a bit off today. Not by much though.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 5:31PM
@65- what are you talking about? this was excellent, as was the pandit fatty post, the cnbc porno, and, most expecially, the jim cramer curse.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 5:49PM
PTJ is a true class act. Great speech.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 6:43PM
maybe the failure of which he speaks is the nickel or dime bags he was doing while cheating on his wife --- then along came Robin Hood..................
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 9:52PM
Bl, this is 55, you did say that you liked it.. but your write up was too long did'nt read the whole thing.. did read the speech tho...
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 9:59PM
@69- don't know the meaning of parody and can't get through three paragraphs? fail.
Posted by guest , Jun 19, 2009 10:00PM
@69- thank you for jumping on my cock before even getting through the whole post! I'll send you a hundo for your time
-PTJ
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 12:39AM
That was a great speech.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 4:01AM
That was a nice speech.
Although, there is a trend developing of people trying to write and give the most moving, quirky speeches--adapting a regular guy plain language tone, and pretending not to say anything moral, while making homespun life parables about living fully.
Of course it helps get your speech passed around the internet or printed by a publisher if you are dying from cancer or something. Is PTJ dying?
Finn2lzy2login
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 7:06AM
@73 pretty sure you don't have to be dying to have your speech passed around the internet. Being a multi-billionaire will do it.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 8:50AM
Apropos speech since Buckley fails in general.
-Allen-Stevenson grad.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 9:06AM
gotta give PTJ credit: that was a good speech.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 9:57AM
@76 pretty sure bess/DB did give PTJ credit (see: "actually a very good read with some quite moving parts").
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 2:12PM
@76- Bess quite clearly gave PTJ credit, and even called the speech "moving." When has that ever happened on DB? I doubt PTJ is so sensitive that he can't take what was some EXTREMELY gentle ribbing beforehand the compliment.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 2:21PM
Buckley boys suck big time.
-- Kincaid and Andover alum
PS. I could have said that speach in 2 words: Never misunderestimate me.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 2:25PM
@79- but can you spell "speech" correctly?
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 5:02PM
The next time the dragon of failure reared its ugly head was when I woke up and realized my actual job is writing snarky comments on a financial gossip blog. What a pathetic waste of life.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 6:10PM
@81- oh, you must have really hurt bess bad with that one.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 6:12PM
@81 which you read (without comprehension, having failed to note that the guy whose cock you apparently ride-- PTJ's-- was complimented on his speech), get upset about, and comment on like a little bitch.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 6:32PM
@81- yes, 81, it's so very snarky to describe something as a "very good read" and emotionally "moving." perhaps try taking a second furiously masturbating to pics of PTJ to comprehend that it's okay to say we thought this was going to be one thing, it turned out to be another, and we liked it. douche bag.
Posted by guest , Jun 20, 2009 9:12PM
81 = Cliff Asness
Posted by guest , Jun 21, 2009 1:46PM
Yeah because Tudor was a big client to JPMorgan, we had a black kid from one of his charities on our desk for a few weeks during the summer a few years ago.
He did nothing except play video games. He expressed no interest in what we did or the markets, and would only talk about rap stars and video games.
What a waste! Why should a deadbeat like this be given such a summer job, when there are thousands of more motivated kids who would kill for such a position and use it as a door into a banking career, rather than just see it as a few hundred bucks a week!
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 6:20AM
"The Lock Ness Monster Of Failure" = fail!
Maybe you were referring to Nessie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_ness_monster
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 7:39AM
Yeah because Tudor was a big client to JPMorgan, we had a white kid from one of his charities on our desk for a few weeks during the summer a few years ago.
He did nothing except play video games. He expressed no interest in what we did or the markets, and would only talk about rap stars and video games.
What a waste! Why should a deadbeat like this be given such a summer job, when there are thousands of more motivated kids who would kill for such a position and use it as a door into a banking career, rather than just see it as a few hundred bucks a week!
This shit still burns me up all these years later.
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 7:44AM
Yeah because Tudor was a big client to JPMorgan, we had an Asian kid from one of his charities on our desk for a few weeks during the summer a few years ago.
He did nothing except play video games. He expressed no interest in what we did or the markets, and would only talk about rap stars and video games.
What a waste! Why should a deadbeat like this be given such a summer job, when there are thousands of more motivated kids who would kill for such a position and use it as a door into a banking career, rather than just see it as a few hundred bucks a week!
This shit still burns me up all these years later.
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 8:39AM
Yeah because Tudor was a big client to JPMorgan, we had a coked up Mexican Cocaine Shark from one of his charities on our desk for a few weeks during the summer a few years ago.
He did nothing except play video games. He expressed no interest in what we did or the markets, and would only talk about rap stars and video games.
What a waste! Why should a deadbeat like this be given such a summer job, when there are thousands of more motivated kids who would kill for such a position and use it as a door into a banking career, rather than just see it as a few hundred bucks a week!
This shit still burns me up all these years later.
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 8:40AM
@90 nice
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 10:23AM
Yeah because [Name Your Fund] was a big client to JPMorgan, we had a white kid who was a PM's spoiled brat on our desk for a few weeks during the summer a few years ago.
He did nothing except play video games. He expressed no interest in what we did or the markets, and would only talk about the Dead and lacrosse.
What a waste! Why should a deadbeat like this be given such a summer job, when there are thousands of more motivated kids who would kill for such a position and use it as a door into a banking career, rather than just see it as a few hundred bucks a week!
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 10:51AM
92 There's a name for this phenomenon: shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations. Its seems like every other successful Wall Street person I know has a child in film school.
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 12:51PM
Yeah because the governor was a big client of the Emperor's Club we had a white bitch who was an escort's illegitamte child on our desk for a few weeks during the summer a few years ago.
She did nothing except play with my balls and stroke my shaft. She expressed no interest in what we did or the markets, and would only talk about A2M and DP threesomes.
What a waste! Why should a crack ho like this be given such a summer job, when there are thousands of more motivated coeds from the ivys who would bend over in such a position and take it in the back door for a wanking career, rather than just see it as a few hundred bucks a night!
My pee still burns all these years later.
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 1:04PM
@94 nice work
Posted by guest , Jun 22, 2009 1:54PM
@94 - FTW
Posted by guest , Jun 23, 2009 12:39PM
94- well done.