More Money Than God by Sebastian Mallaby Summary
Overview of More Money Than God
Dive into the secretive world of hedge funds where billionaires gamble billions. Sebastian Mallaby's definitive industry history reveals how financial mavericks like George Soros navigated crises without taxpayer bailouts - a perspective so compelling, Tim Ferriss recommends it to anyone fascinated by high-stakes capitalism.
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Key takeaways
The Wizards of Wall Street: How Hedge Funds Reshaped Finance
In 1949, Alfred Winslow Jones, a former socialist who had worked undercover against Nazis, created the first "hedged fund" with just $100,000. His improvised investment structure would spawn a financial revolution. By combining short selling with leverage and charging performance fees, Jones established a framework that would eventually produce fortunes that made J.P. Morgan look like a pauper. By 2006, the top hedge fund managers each earned over $1 billion annually - more money than God, as the saying goes. These modern financial alchemists live extravagantly with private islands and personal jets, but their greatest impact has been challenging academic orthodoxy about market efficiency while creating a powerful alternative to traditional banking structures. Jones's innovation was combining "speculative means for conservative ends." By routinely shorting part of his portfolio as insurance against market risk, he could invest more aggressively in promising stocks. He meticulously tracked returns from stock selection ("alpha") separately from market exposure ("beta") - anticipating academic breakthroughs in portfolio theory by years. His secretive approach established the culture of mystery that would define hedge funds for generations.
The Pioneers: From Contrarians to Market Masters
The Scientific Revolution in Trading
The Philosopher's Stone: Soros and Reflexivity
The Quant Revolution: Mathematics Meets Markets
The Greatest Trade: Betting Against the Bubble
The Future of Finance: Small Enough to Fail
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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