The Billion Dollar Mistake: Learning The Art Of Investing Through The Missteps Of Legendary Investors

Important investment lessons gleaned from the mistakes of accomplished professional investors and billionaire businessmen
The Billion Dollar Mistake is an up-close account of the career-defining mistakes that some of the world's most brilliant billionaire investors have made, and a revealing look at what we can learn from them. Drawing on author Stephen Weiss' twenty-two years experience at some of Wall Street's most prestigious firms, the core of this book is based upon original research and interviews with these legendary investors, who discuss the most significant trade or investment that went against them, the magnitude of the loss, its effect on their businesses-and on their personal lives. To some, these fascinating accounts will read like a novel; to others, it will be a treasured and unique investment guide.
This intriguing book skillfully examines the causal relationship between the quirks of each investor's personality and the mistakes they have committed. Along the way, Weiss provides a series of compelling narrative accounts of the individuals' road to success, the particular mistakes they made, the character flaws that led to them, and the lessons learned. While some investors made errors of judgment, others made errors of perception. The Billion Dollar Mistake
Uncovers important lessons learned from the failures of some of the most enduring and accomplished investors, including Kirk Kerkorian, Bill Ackman, Aubrey McClendon and Leon Cooperman
Discusses how to incorporate these lessons into your investment discipline and avoid the same missteps
Reveals common mistakes made by bigger investors that the average investor can relate-the only difference is in magnitude with more zeros attached to the loss
Includes insights on improving your investment endeavors by refining your approach to today's markets
Learning from the missteps of the best in the investment business can help you succeed. With The Billion Dollar Mistake, you'll discover how.

Stephen L. Weiss has spent the last twenty-three years on Wall Street working for some of the industry's most prestigious firms. He is currently a Senior Managing Director and Head of Equities at an investment bank in New York City. Weiss started in institutional sales at Oppenheimer & Co., then moved to Salomon Brothers, where he eventually co-managed the firm's 500 person global research department and became a spokesperson for the equity division. Weiss also worked at SAC Capital, co-managing the firm for legendary hedge fund manager Steven Cohen. Subsequent to SAC, Weiss joined Lehman Brothers in senior management, helping to restore the once prominent equity business to the pinnacle of the industry.

Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
Chapter 1 Kirk Kerkorian: Due Diligence is Due Every Time.
Chapter 2 David Bonderman: Does This Mean I Also Overpaid for the Rolling Stones?
Chapter 3 Aubrey McClendon: Falling on the Wrong Edge of the Two-Edged Leverage Sword.
Chapter 4 Bill Ackman: Detour from Discipline.
Chapter 5 Nick Maounis: "Trust, But Verify…."
Chapter 6 Leon Cooperman: The Pirate of Prague Meets the Prince of Princeton—and the Boy from the Bronx Gets Squeezed.
Chapter 7 Richard Pzena: Fashions Change, History Persists—or Does It?
Chapter 8 Geoff Grant: Style Drift—It's Hot Till It's Not.
Chapter 9 Volkswagen and Porsche: The Hare Finally Wins and the Shorts Get Squeezed.
Chapter 10 Chris Davis: It Was Dressed Like an Insurance Company, but It Didn't Quack Like One…
Chapter 11 Madoff Investors: Hook, Line, and Sunk.
Epilogue: Me Too: Mistakes I've Made and Lessons I've Learned.
Notes.
Glossary.
About the Author.
Index.