30 Famous Stock Traders and Investors to Follow

If you love stock trading, you will definitely love these famous stock investors/traders. They have made huge fortunes through their hard work and dedication.

If you're looking for some inspiration to get your investing juices flowing, then you might be interested in the most famous stock traders of our era.

Some of these traders are household names, while others are more obscure. But each of them has a unique story to tell, and they all offer valuable lessons for investors of all levels of experience.

Here's a quick look at the famous stock traders we've found:

Most Famous Stock Traders

If you're investing with little money or have a million dollars in assets, you'll benefit from following these investors.

1. Jim Cramer

Jim Cramer is a household name, thanks to his popular TV show, “Mad Money.” He's also a successful stock trader, having founded the Cramer Berkowitz hedge fund in 1989.

Cramer is known for being highly outspoken and animated when discussing stocks on air. But he's also a shrewd investor, and has made a fortune trading stocks.

2. Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett is the most famous investor of our time, and he's also one of the richest people in the world. He got his start in the stock market at a young age, and has since become one of the most successful traders in history.

Buffett is known for his “Value Investing” approach, which involves buying stocks of companies that are undervalued by the market. He's also known for his long-term investment horizon, which has resulted in some impressive returns over the years.

3. George Soros

George Soros is another famous investor, and he's perhaps best known for his successful bet against the British pound in 1992. This trade earned him over $1 billion in profits and made him a household name in the investing world. This earned him the title of “The Man who Broke the Bank of England”.

Soros is also a successful hedge fund manager, and his Soros Fund Management company has generated returns of over 30% per year since inception.

4. Jesse Livermore

Jesse Livermore is one of the most famous stock traders of all time, and his story is one of tragedy and redemption. Livermore made a fortune in the stock market during the 1920s, but lost it all in the stock market crash of 1929.

Livermore eventually rebuilt his fortune, but he was killed in 1940 during a trading session. His life has been the subject of many books and movies, and is a lasting testament to the perils of trading.

At one time, Livermore was one of the richest people in the world; however, at the time of his suicide, he had liabilities greater than his assets.

5. Benjamin Graham

Benjamin Graham is another legendary investor who's best known for founding value investing. In fact, many consider him the father of modern-day value investing.

Graham was Warren Buffett's mentor, and Buffett says that reading Graham's book “The Intelligent Investor” was the most important investment decision he ever made.

6. Peter Lynch

Peter Lynch is another famous investor, and he's best known for his time as the head of Fidelity Investments' Magellan Fund. During his tenure at Magellan, Lynch generated returns of over 29% per year.

Lynch is also a popular author, and has written books such as “One Up On Wall Street” and “Beating the Street.”

7. Carl Icahn

Icahn is known for his activist investing approach, and he's regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. In fact, he's also a legend in the business world, having served as a corporate raider during the 1980s.

Icahn is one of the wealthiest people in the world, and his net worth has been estimated at over $20 billion.

8. John Bollinger

John Bollinger is another household name, thanks to the popular Bollinger Bands® technical analysis tool that bears his name. Bollinger developed this investing tool in the early 1980s, and it's still one of the most popular technical analysis tools used by traders today.

Bollinger is also a successful trader, and has been involved in the markets since the early 1970s.

9. James Dines

James Dines is an obscure stock trader who's nonetheless made a name for himself in the investing world. He ‘s best known for his “Dines Letter,” which is a subscription-based investment newsletter.

Dines is also known for his aggressive trading style, and for making bold calls about the markets. His predictions haven't always been accurate, but he's still managed to make a fortune trading stocks.

10. Art Cashin

Art Cashin has been working on Wall Street since 1960, and he's still going strong today. Cashin is a veteran trader who started his journey as a specialist on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Cashin has spent nearly 50 years trading stocks, bonds, and currencies. He's currently director of floor operations for UBS (NYSE:UBS), and is a regular guest on CNBC and other financial news networks.

11. John Paulson

John Paulson is another infamous trader who came to prominence during the financial crisis. Paulson famously shorted subprime mortgages, and this trade led him to make over $4 billion in profits for his firm.

Paulson has also authored a best-selling book about his career as a hedge fund manager titled “The Greatest Trade Ever.”

12. Paul Tutor Jones

Paul Tudor Jones is a legendary trader who's best known for his ability to “read the tape” with his winning trading strategy. Paul Tudor Jones made an estimated $100 million when he predicted Black Monday in 1987 and shorted the stock market.

Jones is a technical trader who studies price movements and charts to find profitable trading opportunities. Jones founded Tudor Investment Corporation in 1980, and the hedge fund has generated annualized returns of over 14% since its inception.

13. Steven Cohen

Steven Cohen is another legendary trader, and he started his hedge fund SAC Capital in 1992 with just $25,000. By the late 1990s, Cohen's firm was managing over $1 billion in assets.

Currently, SAC Capital manages approximately $16 billion in assets. Cohen is a controversial figure, as his firm has been implicated in several insider trading investigations. However, Cohen has never been charged with any wrongdoing.

14. Jim Rogers

Jim Rogers is a well-known commodity trader and author who's made a fortune trading various assets, including stocks, bonds, gold, and soybeans.

Rogers is also a co-founder of the Quantum Fund, which generated returns of over 4,200% during its tenure. In 2008, Rogers retired from actively trading stocks and commodities.

15. David Tepper

David Tepper is the founder of Appaloosa Management, a $12 billion hedge fund. Tepper made a fortune during the financial crisis by shorting subprime mortgages and other toxic securities.

Tepper is known for his contrarian investing style, and for making aggressive bets on the markets. In 2011, he was named “Hedge Fund Manager of the Year” by Institutional Investor.

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The Investing Influencers You May Want to Follow 

The 15 investing legends listed above have earned a place in financial history, but they're just a few of the people who've influenced the investment world through their careers.

There are countless individuals who study market movements and trade stocks to profit from buying and selling decisions. These “investing influencers” do more than just report on investments; they actively trade stocks and share their insights about the markets with the public so you can make money investing.

If you're interested in following investing influencers on Twitter or other social media platforms, there are hundreds of people to choose from. Here are some of the most popular investors you may want to consider.

16. Josh Brown

Josh Brown is an investment advisor for Ritholtz Wealth Management and a New York Times best-selling author. He's also the founder of The Reformed Broker, which is one of the most popular finance blogs on the internet.

Brown joined CNBC as a regular contributor in 2015, and covers markets and financial

17. Kathryn Cicoletti

Kathryn Cicoletti is the founder of The Fox on Wall Street, which is an investment blog that discusses how millennials can start investing.

Cicoletti's site features a variety of content for investors at all experience levels, and also publishes a weekly roundup of finance-related articles from around the web.

Cicoletti is also a regular contributor to Investopedia.

18. Barbara Friedberg

Barbara Friedberg is a financial journalist and the founder of Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance.

Friedberg's site offers a variety of personal finance content, including articles about investing, retirement planning, and money management. She also has a popular YouTube channel where she discusses her latest investment picks.

Friedberg is a former portfolio manager and has over 25 years of experience in the investment industry.

19. Jordan Belfort

If you're looking for a more entertaining investing influencer to follow, Jordan Belfort may be a good option. Better known as the “Wolf of Wall Street,” Belfort is a former stockbroker who was convicted of securities fraud and money laundering in 1998.

However, Belfort has since turned his life around by writing several books and making motivational speeches. He's also become one of the most famous finance experts in Hollywood; “Wolf of Wall Street” was based on one of Belfort's novels, and he served as a consultant for the 2013 film.

20. Larry Ludwig

Larry Ludwig is the founder of Investor Junkie, which is an investing blog that offers guidance on how to invest in stocks and retirement plans.

Ludwig's site covers a variety of topics for investors of all experience levels, including market news updates and analysis of various investments.

He also has a series of books about his stock-picking strategies and other personal finance issues.

Larry is a CFP® and ChFC and has been featured in Smart Money, The New York Times, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine.

21. Michael Piper

Michael Piper is the author of The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing, which is one of the most popular books about investing for beginners.

Piper's book offers an introduction to the basics of investing, and includes chapters about asset allocation, saving for retirement, and other important topics. He also has a blog where he discusses personal finance topics, investments, and retirement planning.

Piper also has a second book called The Intelligent Asset Allocator that was published in 2011.

23. Barry Ritholtz

Barry Ritholtz is the founder of Ritholtz Wealth Management. His blog, The Big Picture, covers a variety of finance topics, including politics, economics, and personal money management.

Ritholtz's site also offers users access to tools that can estimate how much they'll need for retirement or help them develop an asset allocation plan.

Ritholtz is a regular contributor to Bloomberg and The Washington Post, and he has been featured on CNBC, Fox News, and other major news outlets.

24. Todd Tresidder

Todd Tresidder is the founder of FinancialMentor.com, which provides resources for people to learn how to manage their money and achieve their financial goals.

Tresidder's blog offers articles about personal finance, investing, retirement planning, and more. He also has a podcast that covers business news and some helpful tips for achieving success in the personal finance world.

Tresidder is a Certified Financial Planner™ and has been recognized for his expertise by AOL, Yahoo!, Fox Business, MSN Money, Forbes Magazine, The Robb Report, and Marketwatch.com.

Bonus: Famous Crypto Traders

As a treat, we're also including famous cryptocurrency traders who matter.

25. Charlie Shrem

Charlie Shrem is a well-known figure in the crypto world, and he's best known for his time as founder and CEO of BitInstant. BitInstant was one of the first companies to offer a Bitcoin-to-cash service, and it quickly became one of the most popular exchanges in the world.

Shrem was also a founding member of the Bitcoin Foundation, and he currently serves as its vice chairman.

26. Brock Pierce

Brock Pierce is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur who's best known for his work in the crypto world. Pierce was one of the early investors in Bitcoin, and he's been involved in a number of high-profile crypto projects.

Pierce was also a co-founder of Blockchain Capital, and he's currently the managing director of Bitcoin Foundation.

28. Roger Ver

Another notable figure in the crypto world is Roger Ver, who's famous for his staunch support of Bitcoin Cash (BCH). Ver has invested millions of dollars into BCH-related projects, and he's one of the biggest advocates for the cryptocurrency.

Ver is also a well-known speaker and commentator on the crypto world, and he's often seen as a representative for Bitcoin Cash.

29. Erik Voorhees

Erik Voorhees is a Bitcoin entrepreneur who's best known for his work in the crypto world. Voorhees is one of the pioneers of Bitcoin, being involved in the space since 2011.

Voorhees is also the founder and CEO of ShapeShift AG, which was one of the first crypto exchanges to offer instant trading without any account requirements.

30. Laura Shin

Laura Shin has enjoyed great success as a crypto journalist and commentator. Shin is a regular guest on Bloomberg TV and other financial news programs, and she's also the host of two popular podcasts: Unchained and Unconfirmed.

Shin is well-known in the crypto world for her extensive coverage of Bitcoin and blockchain technology.

Best Traders and Investors Summary

We're not playing games — there are many other successful traders who could have been included in this list, but these individuals represent some of the most famous and successful stock traders of all time. Each of these traders has their own unique story and trading style, and they've all managed to make a fortune trading stocks.

That's a quick look at some of the most famous stock traders of our time. Each of these investors has unique stories, but they all share a common trait: They're all incredibly successful at making money in the market.

For more investing tips, be sure to check out the rest of our blog. Thanks for reading!

Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs is a personal finance expert, and the founder of ReferralWallet, a personal finance site helping you put more money in your pocket. He helps readers follow the smart money in order to increase their earning potential and start building wealth for the future. He regularly writes about side hustles, investing, and general personal finance topics aimed to help anyone earn more, pay off debt, and reach financial freedom. He has been quoted as a top personal finance blogger in major publications including Insider, Yahoo! Finance, NASDAQ, Discover, MSN Money and more.

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