February performance for RIFF. Continue reading »
Jim Simons
January performance for RIFF is in. A slight disappointment but fear not- CEO emeritus Uncle Jim and his magic cigs will make it back. Continue reading »
According to the security guard suing James Simons’ hedge fund, he and his team were “instructed to shred confidential documents and walk about the firm’s floors “so that Renaissance employees would feel more secure.” [NYP via BI]
This clip is a bit old but we’re sharing it now because 1) it’s a pretty slow news day 2) we appreciate the fact that Jim Simons once did an interview with a publication called Celebrity High magazine 3) the look on his face when he reminisces about making his first million and 4) I could listen to his voice all day long. The man should consider doing books on tape. Continue reading »
A refrain typically heard when discussing Jim Simons’ Renaissance Technologies is that it “must” be a Ponzi scheme. Those shouting ‘Ponz’ simply can’t wrap their minds about the eye-popping returns in the Medallion fund-made up mostly of employee money- and the comparatively less stellar performance of RIEF and RIFF. They’re also made nervous by the huge computers housed on RenTec’s campus-esque grounds; throw in a socially awkward CEO who professes to hate human interaction and a couple of unicycles and Ponzi is the only way they can square things away. These people are, of course, imbeciles and the statement “Jim Simons hates the feeling of nicotine in his lungs” would hold more weight. No, the quants at Renaissance are far too intelligent to run some amateur hour scam any hack broker could pull off. They make honestly, through complex algorithms and loopholes in labor laws. Continue reading »
You want it, Albany? You know what you have to do. Otherwise Long Island gets its first tobacco farm. Continue reading »
Hedge Fund Manager Eric Rosenfeld’s Children’s Book About Asses Also Has An Economics Lesson Found Within
By Bess Levin
Yesterday we discussed Mrs. Buttkiss, the story of a woman with a “huge” ass, a dirty little secret, and what happens one day when she lets it out in the fruit aisle of a grocery store. Mrs. Buttkiss and The Big Surprise isn’t just any old children’s book about asses but one conceived of by Crescendo Partners founder Eric Rosenfeld, whose tale of asses and the magic they hold had been brewing for over ten years. (For those of you not up to speed on the storyline, see my summary in comments 52, 55, and 57 here). It’s also one of the few books you can currently purchase that comes with a free whoppie cushion. We had a little chat with the auteur, who claims to have no calls on FDP, about his process.
Is this an allegory for the financial crisis? Bubbles, etc?
A lot of people seem to think that but I came up with the story ten years ago, way before the financial crisis.
Ten years ago the seeds were already being sown. A bunch of Alan Greenspan’s friends knew what was happening. It definitely could’ve been about the crisis.
That wasn’t the original intent but it’s fine with me if people want to think about it that way.
Is it about LTCM?
That’s a different Eric Rosenfeld who worked there.
It could still be about John Meriwether. His gastroenterologist loves to talk. Anyway…you said you came up with this story when you were putting your kids to bed. What happened that night that this was the story you came up with?
I was just trying to make up a story I thought they’d like.
Kids like this sort of thing?
Oh yeah. Kids ages 2-12 think it’s hilarious. What did you think of it? Continue reading »
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