Jesse Livermore: The Life and Legacy of America’s Most Famous Stock Trader

Over the years, Wall Street has been equally glamorized and demonized for what it represents. To some, this is where lifelong dreams of riches, power, and fast living come to meet. To others, it is the breeding ground of the corrupt and greedy 1%. All the same, its mystique is one that only the most ambitious penetrate.

That said, more people have dipped their toes into the stock and blockchain markets every day, so day trading as both a profession and a hobby is more relevant than ever. In light of the sensational GameStop controversy in early 2021 and the ongoing and still-evolving global crypto renaissance, the once exclusive sphere of day trading, previously limited to mainly the haute monde and those on Wall Street, has truly become anyone's game. 

Among all of the day traders, the one who was most praised in his time was Jesse Livermore, who is regularly hailed as the greatest and most influential pioneer to have ever played the game. The illustrious Livermore's impressive career was marked by glittering, unparalleled highs, made possible by his trademark methods, which were listed in a bible that continues to be religiously referenced by day traders to this day. However, as remarkable as his successes were, they were often neutralized by devastating lows, an eerie parallel to his extraordinary, but tragic personal life, which was every bit as volatile as the stock market.