Biography

Edward O. Thorp was born on August 14, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Authored "Beat the Dealer" (1962), explaining the system for winning at blackjack he developed based on the mathematical theory of probability. The system worked so well that Las Vegas casinos actually changed the rules of blackjack to give the dealer an added advantage. Those changes would prove to be short-lived, but Thorp's book would go on to become a massive bestseller, and remains a key guide to the game of blackjack to this day.

Became so adept at card counting that he'd been barred from Las Vegas casinos.

Earned a Masters degree in Physics and a PdD in Mathematics from the University of California, Los Angles (UCLA) in 1958.

Became a professor and taught Math at UCLA as well as MIT between 1959 and 1961. Also taught at New Mexico State University and University of California, Irvine between 1965 and 1977.

In 1967, devised a system that uses math and computers to predict the future of the stock market. His hedge funds and his personal portfolio have been profitable ever since.