On April 20, 2017, former UCI Professor of Mathematics and Finance and world-renowned gambler, hedge fund manager and author Edward (Ed) O. Thorp returned to the Anteater community for a book talk celebrating his new work, “A Man for All Markets.”
Lauded as the inventor of the wearable computer, Thorp was greeted at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, by nearly 200 fans, old friends and colleagues eager to hear his insights and life story.
Once Thorp took the stage with interviewer Rick Reiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, it was clear that Thorp and Reiff were like old friends about to let guests into their conversation about life from back in the day.
Thorp reflected on his humble childhood and joked about first beating the odds on an IQ test to determine if he would start a new school at the same level as his old school. “Some questions were true or false, and with a 50/50 chance, I took it and drew a line through the true column,” Thorp joked as the audience welcome his remarks with laughter.
Despite the various moments of humor throughout the evening, anyone privy to this conservation, could sense that often Thorp was downplaying his brilliance and success. With every shuffle of the deck, from describing the pinnacle of his success at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to dropping anecdotes from Wall Street with the likes of Warren Buffet, Thorp had the audience eagerly waiting for a new high-valued card to flip over.
Following the program, the UCI Bookstore sold out of all copies of two of Thorp’s bestselling books “Beat the Dealer” and the newest “A Man for All Markets.” Further, a steady line of fans, filled Beckman Center auditorium to meet the author and have their copies signed.
Photos from the event can be viewed on the UCI Libraries’ Flickr Page and in coming weeks, a video recording of the program will be available on the UCI Libraries YouTube.
For more information on Ed Thorp, visit: http://www.edwardothorp.com/
