According to Ed Seykota Livermore had syphillis when he killed himself. I do not know where he got that information from. I read in one of the books about him that he used to keep a notebook with himself and in the last 4-5 days he was writting the same thing (what was that thing ??) over and over and over again in that notebook of his. I am guessing that this notebook is still with the New York city police. How wonderful it would be to take a peek !! I think that it was not just a depression or a trading loss that must have been bothering him, when he decided to cut his losses and ended up taking his own life (apparently). In the night before the shooting (when his last picture was taken) he tells the reporter that we will be gone for ever or something to that effect. His wife apparently got a bit troubled by that; to which he replied that he was just kidding. gaj, any more interesting titbits from the newspaper archives ? One of the reasons he is so popular is because his life ended in unusual circumstances. Compare his popularity to the scores of musicians who killed themselves. They tend to be more popular that the living ones. I think it just makes a good story and adds to the mystery.
Which is a common theme with clinically depressed people. Livermore committed suicide because he was afflicted with depression and it probably wasn't properly treated (they didn't have the drugs then that we have now). I have witnessed the disease and its manifestations first-hand. Livermore's committing suicide was not a heroic act ("cutting losses short") nor was it something to be lauded. It was simply the last act by a severely depressed man. Uni
More than anything Livermore was a master market manipulator - and I don't mean that in a negative way. It took brains and trading savvy to do what he did. But once the SEC was established in the early 30s and banned many of Livermore's ploys, he was never the same as a trader.
Neiderhoffer is up 50% each last three years. He wrote an article in Active Trader March, 04 issue, and claimed his success. He still sells naked options.
Funny here's a big list of "Famous People Who Have Suffered from Depression or Manic-Depression" some people are pretty missing in that list because I typed banker and financier and find none http://www.geocities.com/coverbridge2k/artsci/famous_people_depression.html
============================== One of the most interesting things are you see is some of his battle tested plans in many other books also; but the Lefevre mining engineer edition was originally published in 1923 , long before others. Its a shame he never learned his gun safety principles. Another early edge was his interest in technical analysis ''just out of grammar school '' ; & noted important business principles like the president or ceo who used the backs of those business envelopes
i didn't have any other anecdotes from ny times back issues. i didn't check his stuff before 1930, as i figure that any iimportant things would be (indirectly) in reminscences... unfortunately, the access i have to the wsj online only goes back to 1984...