William D Gann
William D Gann remains a legend in trading circles, although sorting out the folklore from the reality is no easy task. Gann, born in 1878, reputedly made $50m trading shares and commodities over the course of his career, although verifying this claim is problematic.
His trading methods were mathematical and trend based, which classifies him as an early technical analyst. His trading record and forecasting skills were also legendary, and he made amazingly accurate predictions about price movements based on mathematical formulae.
His methods, though, were quite complex and remain so to this day. Devotees have said that mastering his techniques can take many years. Even so, Gann is credited with developing many trading rules that technical analysts still regard as gospel.
Further Reading
- This article, written by his grandson, provides some detailed background on this controversial character and his even more controversial methods.
- This article from a newspaper in 1922 talks about his uncanny predictions.
