Episode

#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
Description
Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, Vuori comfortable and durable performance apparel, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. Edward O. Thorp (@edwardothorp) is the author of the bestseller Beat the Dealer, which transformed the game of blackjack. His subsequent book, Beat the Market, coauthored with Sheen T. Kassouf, influenced securities markets around the globe. He is also the author of A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market.Edward was one of the world’s best blackjack players and investors, and his hedge funds were profitable every year for 29 years. He lives in Newport Beach, California.You can find our first conversation here.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $28 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost. Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Pro Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.And now, my dear listeners—that’s you—can get $250 off the Pod Pro Cover. Simply go to EightSleep.com/Tim or use code TIM at checkout. *This episode is also brought to you by Vuori clothing! Vuori is a new and fresh perspective on performance apparel, perfect if you are sick and tired of traditional, old workout gear. Everything is designed for maximum comfort and versatility so that you look and feel as good in everyday life as you do working out.Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet at VuoriClothing.com/Tim. Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but you’ll also enjoy free shipping on any US orders over $75 and free returns.*[06:39] The value of long-term thinking and the price of short-term thinking[07:57] What is a common stock warrant?[09:52] Why are people generally poor at taking longer term (or alternative) perspectives?[11:08] Conversing about numeracy and common misunderstandings[15:00] How to become more numeracy literate[20:18] It’s Raining Man[22:31] The Rule of 72[26:14] Making the best financial decisions with unknown variables[35:57] How to have fun learning about probability and statistics[37:47] How to get an edge in hedge fund investing (with book recommendations)[46:23] Ed’s methods for losing (or maintaining) weight and looking 60 in spite of being almost 90 years old[53:38] Favorite beer[55:03] Music as stress reduction[56:02] Avoiding unnecessary risks[1:04:12] The age-guessing experiment[1:06:17] Other-directed vs. inner-directed and takeaways from The Lonely Crowd by David Riesman[1:14:35] How an 89-year-old maintains hair growth[1:17:20] Using scrap time[1:19:45] A big change in Ed’s later life that increased its quality[1:22:16] New reflections, future hopes, and parting thoughts*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
The speaker provides a positive review of a clothing brand for yoga, running, and loungewear that lasts and looks good.
00:00 - 02:27 (02:27)
Summary
The speaker provides a positive review of a clothing brand for yoga, running, and loungewear that lasts and looks good. The clothing is versatile and can be worn for various activities, including training, yoga, lounging, weekend errands or going out to dinner.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The 8 Sleep Pod Pro Cover helps users fall asleep faster, reduces sleep interruptions and improves the overall quality of sleep.
02:27 - 07:47 (05:20)
Summary
The 8 Sleep Pod Pro Cover helps users fall asleep faster, reduces sleep interruptions and improves the overall quality of sleep. Use coupon code 'Tim' for $250 off your purchase at 8sleep.com/Tim.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This episode discusses the lack of numerical skills and comfort with long-term perspective among people in humanities and scientists, respectively, and why they need to overcome it.
07:47 - 14:06 (06:18)
Summary
This episode discusses the lack of numerical skills and comfort with long-term perspective among people in humanities and scientists, respectively, and why they need to overcome it. The conversation includes an example of warrant and call option to explain the importance of numerical skills.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses the importance of mental math for making quick calculations and risk comprehension.
14:06 - 18:37 (04:31)
Summary
The podcast discusses the importance of mental math for making quick calculations and risk comprehension. The episode highlights the usefulness of some sections in a book for understanding absolute versus relative risk.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Trey Lockerbie discusses the method of determining the day of the week for a specific date without using a calendar, referencing the movie Rain Man.
18:37 - 21:47 (03:09)
Summary
Trey Lockerbie discusses the method of determining the day of the week for a specific date without using a calendar, referencing the movie Rain Man.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses the concept of long-term investing in the stock market, including the potential for both good and bad periods, while offering advice on how to determine the viability of long-term investing plans.
21:47 - 29:11 (07:23)
Summary
The podcast discusses the concept of long-term investing in the stock market, including the potential for both good and bad periods, while offering advice on how to determine the viability of long-term investing plans.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Wealthfront recommends long-term investing in a diversified portfolio rather than attempting to time the market.
29:11 - 33:32 (04:20)
Summary
Wealthfront recommends long-term investing in a diversified portfolio rather than attempting to time the market. Their globally diversified portfolios are optimized to reach your goals and apply tax breaks to improve returns.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, the speaker discusses the benefits and risks of investing in hedge funds, and shares strategies for those who are interested in cultivating principles and developing numeracy to get an edge in hedge fund investing.
33:32 - 41:07 (07:35)
Summary
In this podcast, the speaker discusses the benefits and risks of investing in hedge funds, and shares strategies for those who are interested in cultivating principles and developing numeracy to get an edge in hedge fund investing.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast delves into the history of hedge funds and what differentiates them from other types of funds, providing insights that can help people make informed decisions when investing in them.
41:07 - 46:53 (05:45)
Summary
The podcast delves into the history of hedge funds and what differentiates them from other types of funds, providing insights that can help people make informed decisions when investing in them.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses the importance of observing and documenting daily weight trends for health management purposes.
46:53 - 51:42 (04:49)
Summary
The podcast discusses the importance of observing and documenting daily weight trends for health management purposes. Additionally, there is mention of an apple body type characterized by a big pot belly when gaining weight.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Designing self-directed observational studies or at-home clinical trials is challenging for many reasons because controlling for variables such as body weight or body composition is difficult, and also because the specifics of a diet or experiment may not be clear or consistent.
51:42 - 1:00:16 (08:33)
Summary
Designing self-directed observational studies or at-home clinical trials is challenging for many reasons because controlling for variables such as body weight or body composition is difficult, and also because the specifics of a diet or experiment may not be clear or consistent.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Being prepared for the worst-case scenario can increase the likelihood of coming out of it with less loss or damage.
1:00:16 - 1:06:16 (05:59)
Summary
Being prepared for the worst-case scenario can increase the likelihood of coming out of it with less loss or damage. It's important to consider unforeseen risks and take action to mitigate them in advance.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The Lonely Crowd categorizes personalities into 16 major categories based on their choices in four dimensions.
1:06:17 - 1:11:30 (05:13)
Summary
The Lonely Crowd categorizes personalities into 16 major categories based on their choices in four dimensions. It explores the idea of "inner directed" people who tend to be self-deciding, while "other directed" people rely on the people around them for direction and values.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Nate discusses how developing basic numeracy skills like scrutinizing studies and interpreting data can build confidence and liberate individuals from feeling dependent on others for information, connecting it back to the concept of the lonely crowd and the need for an internal sense of worth and clarity in decision making.
1:11:30 - 1:17:05 (05:34)
Summary
Nate discusses how developing basic numeracy skills like scrutinizing studies and interpreting data can build confidence and liberate individuals from feeling dependent on others for information, connecting it back to the concept of the lonely crowd and the need for an internal sense of worth and clarity in decision making.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about how running marathons has taught him about life lessons and making better choices even if it does not benefit us in the immediate future.
1:17:05 - 1:25:47 (08:42)
Summary
The speaker talks about how running marathons has taught him about life lessons and making better choices even if it does not benefit us in the immediate future. He also discusses the concept of scrap time and how to put it to good use.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, the host shares his insights and personal experiences on how to get better sleep.
1:25:47 - 1:29:52 (04:05)
Summary
In this podcast, the host shares his insights and personal experiences on how to get better sleep. He discusses various resources, including articles, books, and gadgets, that have helped him and his team improve their sleep quality.
Episode#604: Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker highly recommends the brand for yoga running loungewear that lasts and looks good.
1:29:52 - 1:33:27 (03:34)
Summary
The speaker highly recommends the brand for yoga running loungewear that lasts and looks good. They offer a men's core short K-O-R-E and super soft cotton yoga pants and jogger sweatpants that are versatile enough to wear during any activity.