Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio, born August 8, 1949, is an American billionaire investor who founded Bridgewater Associates in 1975 from his two-bedroom apartment in New York City, growing it into the world's largest hedge fund.[1][2][3] He developed a unique 'principles'-based management philosophy, outlined in his bestselling book *Principles: Life & Work* (2017), and stepped down from leadership roles at Bridgewater by 2021 to focus on mentoring.[1][2][4] Dalio began investing at age 12 and, after graduating from Harvard Business School in 1973, built his success through radical transparency and idea meritocracy.[1][3][6]