December 21, 2009

Betting on Decline: The Eternal Optimist?


"A lot of people become pessimists from financing optimists."

CT Jones

How many successful business managers do you know who were also pessimists?

Consider
David Tepper.

Are hedge fund managers who take risky market positions based on assumptions of industry segment and/or company demise, optimists?
Or is optimism only associated with positives assumptions?

How optimistic/pessimistic are you as a manager?


2 comments :

  1. Well, based on the Wall Street Journal article you cite, Tepper either was an optimist regarding where bank stocks were headed, or an opportunist taking advantage of their problems. I think it was the former.

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  2. I think you can be both (an optimist and an opportunist) with no shame. What he was for sure was gutsy.

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