Market Wizards

As traders we always stand on the shoulders of giants and then make it our own. Here is a list of my favorite traders that inspired and influenced me a lot.

There are definitely other very good traders out there that are not on this list but they might have a different strategy or simply don't resonate with me.

Also I think in any field just like trading, the best way to learn is to look at the guys who are doing great. That's why I am always hyped when I see new content full of golden nuggets appear from these guys.

A great addition to this list are the Market Wizards books from Jack Schwager. These contain so much knowledge from all kinds of different traders. Definitely recommend reading those.

Jesse Livermore

Jesse is one of the most legendary traders, one of the first I believe. Active in the early 20th century, his story really is in the foundation of how trend following is in this day and age. You cannot study trading without crossing paths with Jesse Livermore. He is the grandfather of modern trend following. His biography, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, is widely considered the trading bible. Other traders in this list have drawn inspiration from him as well. Livermore taught us that markets are driven by human emotion; fear, greed, hope, and because human nature never changes, market patterns always repeat themselves. His rules on cutting losses quickly and letting winners run are the foundation of almost every successful strategy today.

William Joseph O'Neil

Bill O'Neil revolutionized trading by combining the best of both worlds: fundamental and technical analysis. As the founder of Investor's Business Daily (IBD), he created the CANSLIM methodology, proving that the biggest winning stocks have specific fundamental and technical characteristics before they make their big price runs. O'Neil taught us how we should be buying stocks breaking out of proper bases like the cup and handle, cutting your losses at 7-8%, looking at earnings and sales among other things. Traders who are also in this list used to work with or have spent time with him when he was still with us. I'm not sure where I would be as a trader without the research of this guy.

Jim Roppel

This guy's enthusiasm is contagious and I take great inspiration from him. He's always talking about the golden goose and how the market will keep throwing softballs of opportunity. He runs his own fund, a newsletter called The Roppel Report, and occasionally appears in interviews with TraderLion and IBD. To me, his optimism is one of his most inspiring traits. For example, something he said I keep on my whiteboard for when it's a red day and we're down: "It's just one day! Man, we are compounding for 20/30 years!"

Mark Minervini

Mark Minervini is a US Investing Champion and one of the most famous modern market wizards. He is known for his SEPA (Specific Entry Point Analysis) methodology and popularizing the VCP - Volatility Contraction Pattern. His books Trade like a stock market wizard and Think and trade like a champion are great reads. You can also find quite a lot of great stuff on him on YouTube. His story, knowledge and success are very inspirational.

Mike Webster

"Webby" spent decades working closely with Bill O'Neil. Mike is an absolute genius when it comes to analyzing the general market direction. His hanging out with other traders, deeper dive videos, breaking down complex market subjects and bringing up memories about Bill O'Neil make him one of the most valuable resources for growth traders today in my opinion.

Kristjan Kullamägi

This guy needs to be on my list. His trading strategy is not precisely the same as mine but when I heard him speak I finally realized a lot of successful trend followers just trade generally one setup: breakouts. And he made it seem not as hard as I thought it all was at that moment. His returns are crazy high and very inspirational. Also he livestreamed a ton which is still available on YouTube. Also: he is in the most recent Market Wizards book, worth a read.