George Soros—the billionaire, philanthropist, and "The Man Who Broke the Bank of England." Soros's career is defined by sharp analysis and bold execution.

His unique philosophy, called Reflexivity, is the core of his success. It argues that in markets, perception and reality create self-reinforcing loops (investor belief drives prices, which in turn changes fundamentals). Soros saw markets not as efficient, but as emotional and fragile systems prone to dangerous spirals.

This thinking led to his legendary 1992 trade. Seeing the British Pound as fundamentally overvalued, Soros shorted the currency with billions. The resulting crisis, known as Black Wednesday, earned Soros over $1 billion in a single trade.

His key lessons for traders: have deep conviction, master timing, and always manage risk ("It’s not whether you’re right or wrong, but how much money you make when you’re right and how much you lose when you’re wrong").