BOOK REVIEW


How I Managed $20,000,000 by Age 32
Wade Slome, author of How I Managed $20,000,000,000 By Age 32 will be on The Jay Peroni Show this week. With his upcoming appearance, I wanted to give a formal review of his latest book.

Besides being the president of www.Sidoxia.com, Wade wanted to share his unusual story with the world.   

How I Managed $20,000,000,000 By Age 32 was designed to provide a unique peek into the mind of an experienced fund manager who has managed large pools of money – through the best of times and the worst of times. Wade presents his perspective on his successful investment career and describes his diverse set of personal and professional experiences that shaped his belief systems. Among the great traits of the book is its ability to equip readers with a new set of investment strategies and tools that will assist investors in achieving a higher level of financial success.

I would not describe this book as a how-to book per se, but it does offer practical and timely advice that can enable you to make better investment decisions.   Part autobiography and part strategy design, this book is both entertaining and educational.

Who is Wade Slome?
Wade W. Slome, CFA, CFP is President and Founder of Sidoxia Capital Management

He is a CFA charterholder (Chartered Financial Analyst), a CFP certificant (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER), and a member of the CFA Institute and the FPA (Financial Planning Association). Wade Slome has worked in the investment industry since 1993, and Bloomberg identified him as the second youngest manager among the largest 25 actively-managed U.S. mutual funds in 2005. Wade Slome has also been a media go-to resource, quoted in USA Today, The New York Times, Dow Jones, Investor’s Business Daily, Bloomberg, and Smart Money, among other publications.

What is the book about?
This book is about the personal journey of a young, eager determined man seeking to make a name for himself in the financial services industry.  From trading penny stocks in high school stock market competitions after the ’1987 Crash’ to trading billions of dollars whilst elbowing with the likes of Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google), Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon), and John Chambers (CEO of Cisco Systems)…Wade has seen it all.  How did he end up managing billions of dollars and being one of the world’s youngest money managers?   Wade explains all the details and his personal insight in  How I Managed $20,000,000,000 By Age 32.

Though there is no playbook for managing billions of dollars, starting your own investment firm, and running a hedge fund, Wade sets the tone and course of the book with revealing exactly how he went from point A to point B and why.

If you ever wanted to learn more about the inside details of what it takes to be a successful money manager and handle the responsibility of handling others money, this is a must-read book.   Though the book does not look specifically at the spirtual side of investing (my specialty), it does offer much wisdom and guidance on how to choose quality, long-term investments.   Wade says, “Buying a share in a stock – actually owning a portion of a company while holding voting rights – has tremendous allure.”  He is a firm believer in the wealth-building ability of the stock market, but you have to know what you’re doing!

Wade takes an honest approach throughout the book highlighting his failures as well as successes.  being brutally honest allows the reader to feel like their part of a journey rather than an orchestrated story.   After learning from some of the greatest invetsors of all-time, Wade has solidifed an investment approach that is logical, fairly easy to implement, and has produced positive results over time.

Is this book a good fit for beginners?

I would say it could be a good read for someone interested in exploring a career in finance, but most who will find value are others that have some experience with investing.  Those who have bought indivudal securies (ie stocks, bonds, etc) and those who have traded in the past will find most value.  This is not to say that you won’t get anything out of the book if you don’t have experience.  It is not a stock market 101 book but rather a little more advanced read.

The book tackles Wades experiences, his philosophies on investing, the ins and outs of hedge funds, how he worked his way up to manage billions of dollars, how technology has changed the investment game, how to develop winning investment strategies, how to choose a money manager, and what to do with your portfolio given recent market conditions.  All be told, this book is a great fit for those who seek more knowledge in the area of investing and would like to better understand how to select investments that make sense for your situation.

Final Thoughts…
This is a great read for those seeking investment wisdom! Wade deleivers his message in a clear, precise, and easy to follow manner.  It is both educational in nature yet very entertaining as Wade diverts into many of his hobbies and life experiences.  I highly recommend this book. It gives a fresh perspective on how to make wiser decisions with your money while gaining insight from someone who managed billions of dollars at such a young age. Be on the lookout for my interview with Wade on The Jay Peroni Show this week. I’m looking forward to speaking with Wade and having him share his message with you!

Wade Slome’s website: Sidoxia Capital Management

The full tour schedule and details of Wade Slome’s blog book tour are posted at Virtual Blog Tours.

Autographed copies pf Wade’s book are available at Amazon.com or from Sidoxia Capital Management for $23.95

His book is also on Amazon.com for the retail price.