Author, Investor
WHY: Book “Beat the Dealer” has sold more than 1M copies, making him the father of card counting. Warren Buffett bridge buddy. Investor Bill Gross attributed his success to Thorp. Successfully ran his own investment firm for years.
RECENT: Even though Beat the Dealer was initially published in 1962, it still ranked high recently on Amazon: No. 5 in Blackjack, No. 10 in Poker and No. 15 in Gambling, where his biography, “A Man for All Markets,” ranked No. 18.
NOTABLE: Big fitness buff, saying there is link “between physical and mental fitness and life.” Has worked with TGS Management (see Fred Taylor entry).