Stephen L. Weiss

consultant. Weiss is a talented public speaker on topics ranging from all areas of the investment process to motivating and managing a sales organization. He is also a noted author of 2 investment books and a just released novel: The Billion Dollar Mistake (Wiley, 2010); The Big Win (Wiley, 2012); and UNHEDGED: A Novel About A Killing in the Market (Argo, 2012).

his insights with those culled from his contact base to help investors of all types make money in up or down markets.

there are no boundaries; where murder, kidnapping and deception are safeguards for billion dollar fortunes and accepted tools for survival. It is a story you can’t put down until the journey ends; an inside, maybe not so fictional, look at the firms that control Wall Street and Main Street. Just as a law degree was not required to enjoy The Firm, knowledge of the financial world is not a prerequisite for making UNHEDGED your favorite novel in 2013. And there is no one better suited to take you on the journey than hedge fund veteran, top selling author and CNBC personality Stephen L. Weiss. Legendary investor Vernon Albright is the Founder and Managing Partner of Parthenon Capital Limited, LLC, a $20 billion dollar hedge fund. Albright made an unauthorized and poorly conceived trade a few years ago that, had it been discovered by investors, would have led to imprisonment, decimation of his multi-billion dollar fortune and destruction of his reputation as one of the financial industry’s most respected figures. Unwilling to trade his pinstripes for prison stripes, Albright accepts a lifeline from oilman Buck Hendricks in return for becoming part of a hedge fund cartel that generates billions in profits through the manipulation of the energy markets. Eventually, the egotistical Albright tires of the relationship but padding his already incredible wealth remains a powerful lure. Jeremy Cranford, Albright’s junior partner, is the only obstacle in the way of the scheme’s continued success. Cranford is a study in contrasts: he is a ruthless trader but respects right over wrong and values family more than money. He’s conflicted; although loyal to his mentor and the person who signs his multi-million dollar paycheck, he is fairly certain that not even the great Vernon Albright could generate such tremendous investment returns without “special insights.” Complicating matters is that even though Jeremy has done nothing illegal, as a Parthenon partner he is as responsible as Albright for any criminal activity so blowing the whistle may have repercussions. Albright is also in conflict; he cares for Jeremy but ultimately views him as an ingrate and a danger. Neither one wants to wind up like Bernie Madoff, or as Albright puts it, “those morons at Enron.” Conflict, suspense and danger abound as Cranford surreptitiously delves deeper into the mystery. His concerns quickly become more than financial as he faces threats against his loved ones and himself, threats that come from multiple and unknown sources. UNHEDGED is technically a novel but put in the context of today’s headlines may yield a different conclusion, particularly given the author’s background. The story takes place in the fast paced and Über wealthy world of hedge fund managers where super-sized egos and incredible greed drive idiosyncratic personalities that almost always lead to the edge of ruin. Some fall prey to financial, physical and emotional devastation, while others succeed spectacularly. UNHEDGED is a story of both.