RIP Vic Niederhoffer, by Peter C. Earle
There are those who teach skills, methods, subjects, or even entire professions. And there are people who permanently change the way one thinks. Victor Niederhoffer was, for me, emphatically the latter.
I landed on a trading desk in the mid-1990s with no background in finance or business and a single economics course (which, ironically, I'd hated) under my belt. Shortly thereafter I picked up Victor's newly-released book The Education of a Speculator. It permanently altered the way I thought; not only about markets, but about the nature of inquiry itself. Shortly thereafter I undertook what seemed like a daunting but morally imperative task: reaching out to him through an unsolicited message via Bloomberg. I told him how much I admired his book and how intrigued I was by his methods. To my surprise, he replied - and invited me to his home for a gathering several weeks later. That simple act of generosity began an enduring mentorship and, eventually, a treasured friendship.
Comments
Victor Hrehorovich on August 20, 2026 9:45 am
Words cannot express the sorrow I feel at the passing of one of the kindest, truly generous and most accomplished man I have ever known. I first met him over a ping pong table at Eliot House. I was not surprised that within a few short years Vic became a world class squash player, a title he carried with grace and humility. Decades later he invited me to a tennis game, at which I definitely proved no match for him. To improve my mood Vic told me that what I really needed was a better racket and proceeded to gift me one of the three rackets he always carried to a match. He was a great fan of Ayn Rand, and for years we kept up the tradition of monthly meetings at the Libertarian Junto followed by dinner. I will truly miss his lively wit and humor. He had a way of elevating every meal to the level of an intellectually memorable feast. He leaves a lasting memory on all whose lives he touched. Rest in peace my dear friend. – Victor Hrehorovich, MD.