Other than making the occasional slipup, Simons was an effective salesman, a world-class mathematician with a rare ability to connect with those who couldn’t do stochastic differential equations. Simons told entertaining stories, had a dry sense of humor, and held interests far afield from science and moneymaking. He also demonstrated unusual loyalty and concern for others, qualities the investors may have sensed. Once, Dennis Sullivan, returning to Stony Brook after two decades in France, drove to Renaissance’s parking lot to talk with Simons. The two spent hours speaking about math formulas,
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