The Trading Game

Gary Stevenson grew up in an impoverished area of East London where he could hold his life’s belongings in both arms. About three years after graduating from the London School of Economics, Citibank made him a millionaire at a very young age. While Gary defied the odds of becoming a successful trader at Citibank, he explains why wealth did not bring him happiness and why he was eager to leave the firm that made him rich.

Interview Highlights

The reason why it’s challenging to get a job on a trading floor
Gary’s childhood and how it influenced his drive to mastery
The reason poor people are looked down upon by the rich
Gary’s first day on the trading floor in 2007
Profound thoughts on the mindset of a trader
The P&Ls of traders and how they got paid
The meaning of negative 4.5% interest rates
Money was never Gary’s driver
Health and mental stress in Tokyo
Advice for kids wanting to be traders
Gary’s YouTube channel
Return to the classics

Amazon Book Page: The Trading Game
Penguin Random House Book Page: The Trading Game
YouTube Channel: Gary’s Economics
Facebook: Gary’s Economics
Website: Wealth Economics

Meaningful Quotes About Trading in The Trading Game

“This is another rule of trading: you don’t necessarily make money by being right, but by being right when others are wrong.”

“Having the right trade is not all that matters. It’s also important that you survive. Every trader has a pain threshold. Every trader has an amount they can lose. You could have the best trade in the world, but if you hit your pain threshold, it doesn’t matter, you’ll lose all your cash. The lesson, then, is never hit your pain threshold.”

Two rules for life: be right in the end, be alive in the end. Write them down.

Real traders don’t watch the news; they watch the markets. The only thing you need is the markets. They’ll tell you something that is real.

Having the right trade is not all that matters. It’s also important that you survive. Every trader has a pain threshold. Every trader has an amount they can lose. You could have the best trade in the world, but if you hit your pain threshold, it doesn’t matter, you’ll lose all your cash. The lesson, then, is never hit your pain threshold.