10 Most Successful Investors in the World

4. James Simons

Investment Firm: Renaissance Technologies
Net Worth: $16.5 Billion

Whenever your kids ask you what’s the use of algebra in real life, just point them to Jim Simons, the number 4 in our list of most successful investors in the world. A mathematician with experience in cryptology and pattern recognition, Simons decided to swap his chair as the Head of Department of Mathematics at Stony Brook University with that of an investment manager. His first career brought him accolades among the mathematicians of the world, while his second has made him one of the greatest investors in the world and extremely wealthy.

Top Holding: Novo Nordisk A/S (ADR) (NYSE:NVO)

Novo Nordisk A/S (ADR) (NYSE:NVO) recently topped the list of the top performing CEOs in the world, as its CEO ranked first in a study conducted by Harvard Business Review. Nonetheless, that CEO has announced that he will step down at the end of year, turning the reins over to Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, who is already working feverishly to adapt its drug pipeline and R&D spending to best meet the current challenges and opportunities in the market. Those changes have already resulted in the shelving of an oral insulin drug that was in development, and it’s expected that the Danish company will instead focus on treatments to combat diabetes and obesity. Novo Nordisk A/S (ADR) (NYSE:NVO) shares have tumbled by 38% this year but have gained 856% over the past decade; Simons has been a shareholder of the stock during that entire period.