Mark Andrew Ritchie

Mark Andrew Ritchie grew up with Moslems in Afghanistan, spent his career trading with Jewish people in the pits of Chicago, and was raised in a Christian environment. These three widely divergent subcultures have given him an unparalleled perspective with which to conceive The Last Shibboleth, which forces these subcultures to interact. In addition to his childhood in the poverty of Afghanistan, the deep south of Texas, and an Oregon-coast logging town, he has lived, worked, or visited every...See more

Mark Andrew Ritchie grew up with Moslems in Afghanistan, spent his career trading with Jewish people in the pits of Chicago, and was raised in a Christian environment. These three widely divergent subcultures have given him an unparalleled perspective with which to conceive The Last Shibboleth, which forces these subcultures to interact. In addition to his childhood in the poverty of Afghanistan, the deep south of Texas, and an Oregon-coast logging town, he has lived, worked, or visited every continent. The Vietnam War crystallized his love of rebellion. He became an occupational vagabond-funeral home operative, Chicago Transit bus driver, gambler, long-haul trucker, jail guard, and more. After graduate studies in philosophy of religion, he went straight to the take-no-prisoners financial markets of Chicago. (Everyone in those pits comes from somewhere very different.) It was an unlikely backdrop for launching a career in finance where he became one of four founding partners of CRT, a certified yelling and screaming floor trader, a participant in Schwager's, New Market Wizards, and creator of the RR trading app. After traveling extensively in the third world, he did a series of book and lecture tours with an ex-shaman from the jungle of Amazonas. His friend was publicly labeled a "token N-word." (Can't print that here.) He raised five children with his wife, then followed after her dream-working with orphans in Asia where he became immersed in barefoot banking. After hearing the children sing, he founded and directed Voices of Myanmar Gospel Choir, seen on YouTube. Today he is Chairman of the Board of RTM2, a trading group, and lives near Chicago. MarkRitchie.Me Check him out at his website where you are encouraged to leave a comment. Ritchie is especially fond of those with contrary viewpoints, i.e., critics. See less