The Quant King -- How David Shaw Built Wall Street's Most Mysterious Firm

This module tells the origin story of D.E. Shaw, from David Shaw's academic career in computer science at Columbia to founding the firm in 1988 with just six employees and $28 million. Candidates will learn how a computer science professor pioneered computational finance, why Jeff Bezos left this firm to start Amazon, and how Shaw's scientific mindset shaped a culture that still drives the firm today. Understanding this history is essential for answering "Why D.E. Shaw?" with genuine depth.