My Interview with an Official Market Wizard Mark Minervini

I did this interview back in June of 2012.

U.S. Investing Champion Mark Minervini who was featured in Jack Schwager’s book Stock Market Wizards was generous enough to grant me this interview. Let’s listen and learn from the man who has returned consistent triple digit returns in the stock market.

Jack Schwager wrote in the book Stock Market Wizards; Interviews with America’s Top Stock Traders “Minervini’s performance has been nothing short of astounding. His average annual compounded return has been a towering 220 percent. Most traders and money managers would be delighted to have Minervini’s worst year – a 128 percent gain – as their best.”

First Mr. Minervini I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer these questions today, my readers appreciate your time.

It’s my pleasure, thank you for having me here today.

So what was that first spark that got you interested in trading the markets?

At a very young age I was fascinated with probabilities. I enjoyed quantifying things. I always felt a sense of comfort if I could stack the odds in my favor. When I was 8 years old an elderly man taught me how to play poker. I later played blackjack and learned how to count cards. Speculation seemed challenging and potentially very rewarding. I guess what got me first interested in stocks where the success stories of others such as Nick Darvas and Jesse Livermore; I read every book I could get my hands on and they really inspired me. I looked at the stock market as my golden opportunity for financial freedom. I figured if they did it, then so could I.

How long did it take you after you started trading to become consistently successful and profitable? What was the biggest key to your success?

It took me quite a while; about six or seven years. However