Michael Goodkin

Michael Goodkin , a successful gambler, failed investor, and mediocre student, was advised by his high school guidance counselor to become a plumber. Eight years later, in 1968 he combined his knack for gambling and lessons learned as a failed investor with the expertise of future Nobel laureate economists to found the company that introduced computerized trading to Wall Street. After seeing the world as a professional backgammon player, in 1996 he founded the software company that pioneered...See more

Michael Goodkin , a successful gambler, failed investor, and mediocre student, was advised by his high school guidance counselor to become a plumber. Eight years later, in 1968 he combined his knack for gambling and lessons learned as a failed investor with the expertise of future Nobel laureate economists to found the company that introduced computerized trading to Wall Street. After seeing the world as a professional backgammon player, in 1996 he founded the software company that pioneered the application of computational physics to financial derivatives. A lecturer at forums including the University of Chicago and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Goodkin holds a JD from Northwestern University and an MBA from Columbia University. The author of Paper Gold , a bestselling novel of financial intrigue, he lives in Chicago. See less