The mathematician who cracked Wall Street | Jim Simons

Jim Simons was a mathematician and cryptographer who realized: the complex math he used to break codes could help explain patterns in the world of finance. Billions later, he’s working to support the next generation of math teachers and scholars. TED’s Chris Anderson sits down with Simons to talk about his extraordinary life in numbers. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksDirector

Comments

1. Let's distract.
2. True story: A Brazilian man invested $400 in Microsoft in 1987. His return was 12,100% by 1997, of $48,800. He sold MSFT shares and bought Apple shares simply because Steve Jobs returned to Apple. He sold Apple shares in 2012 and made 11,000% on $48,800, his then had $5,4 million. And guess what, he bought Tesla shares and still owns them... since than Tesla went up 900%. This guy made $54 million from $400 invested 30 years ago. I think this man is the greatest investor of all time. He never paid any taxes, because he is a resident of Turks and Caicos since 1995, he married there and now operates a hotel there. But he made 54 million from $400. That is just unbelievable.
3. In fact the interviewer is being a pest he just don't let him finish his story. Moreover, he even laugh in the middle of the sentence without Mr. Simmons finishing his conclusion.
4. I don't understand what is so great about this man? Did he create any product or service that millions of people use? Actually - did he create anything apart from a fortune for himself and his employers? He is just one of those fraudsters who find the way to fool a casino and use it until he is banned from the place. Then he finds another trick and use it at another casino and so on. Yes he is smart in a specific way but that is not enough for me to adore him. A big pile of money - that is what will be left after he is gone. Nothing else.
   Since his method has nothing to do with creating any additional value - then all the money his company made on the stock money is just the money taken from somebody else - less successful with their investments. Man- he is very smart but does he deserve any public respect? Think of all those millions who lost all or a big part of their money in the stock market. Simons is one of those who is responsible for that with his "great" and secret mathematical models.
5. Or maybe we will find primitive life out there that we can enslave.
6. This guy inspired me so much. But I don't agree with helping the teachers, since most of them are just parasites who don't want to work, at least that is what emerged from my personal experience. I would have invested that money in self-study instead. But he probably has good reasons.
7. Simons is an example of how smart, really smart people are.
8. He looks like a chimpanzee.
9. What an old sleazy crook
10. one example of his eccentricity is the fact this man does not wear socks. Geniuses are often quirky superficial and almost certainly strange. make no mistake a genius is a genius. and the only reason anybody with intelligence has ever made fun of because other people are intimidated and feel dumb to be next to them. I'm a huge John Nash fan.
11. 17:03 7:18 7:18 11:27
12. Musk, Simons, Feynman, Gates et al were genetically gifted from birth, born with innate scientific "superhuman" abilities of seeing/understanding the universe. You cannot train nor teach, you have to be born with these raw capabilities. Time and time again, the brains gifted at STEM win.
13. The whole time he's talking, all I could think was - "white Morgan Freeman".
14. the interviewer needs to shut his mouth more and let Mr. Jim Simons more freely explain what he is asked about.
15. wow, I love these people.
16. The Interviewer doesn't let Jim Simons speak freely
17. He sounds like Sean Connery..
18. 82 religious nuts couldn't believe their ears and hit dislike
19. Absolutely brilliant man and great interview!
20. Codecracker. haha