When Genius Failed

Drawing on confidential internal memos and interviews with dozens of key players, Lowenstein explains not just how the fund made and lost its money but also how the personalities of Long-Term’s partners, the arrogance of their mathematical certainties, and the culture of Wall Street itself contributed to both their rise and their fall.

When it was founded in 1993, Long-Term was hailed as the most impressive hedge fund in history. But after four years in which the firm dazzled Wall Street as a $100 billion moneymaking juggernaut, it suddenly suffered catastrophic losses that jeopardized not only the biggest banks on Wall Street but the stability of the financial system itself. The dramatic story of Long-Term’s fall is now a chilling harbinger of the crisis that would strike all of Wall Street, from Lehman Brothers to AIG, a decade later.

Endorsements

“A riveting account that reaches beyond the market landscape to say something universal about risk and triumph, about hubris and failure.” — The New York Times

Named one of the best books of the year by BusinessWeek.

“[Roger] Lowenstein has written a squalid and fascinating tale of world-class greed and, above all, hubris.” — BusinessWeek

“Compelling . . . The fund was long cloaked in secrecy, making the story of its rise . . . and its ultimate destruction that much more fascinating.” — The Washington Post

“Story-telling journalism at its best.” — The Economist