Trader Icon: The Code Breakers

All week we've been taking a look at legendary traders and how they gained their fame. Our latest trading icon is Jim Simons.

He's celebrated not only as the founder of hedge fund Renaissance Technologies but as the father of quantitative trading.

A PhD by the age of 23, Simons went from the classroom to code-breaker during the Vietnam War.

After that, the blackboards of MIT and Harvard didn’t quite cut it, so went to Wall Street.

• NEW SLIDESHOW: The Most Successful Traders Of All Time

In 1982 Simons started writing ever adapting algorithms; formulas that helped him trade fast. Since 1988 those complex equations have generated returns for him of 30% a year.

Now worth $8.5 billion, Simons retired at the beginning of 2010.

What’s the take away?

If you’re going to be in the market you need to know that the quants are going to be in there with you, explains Joe Terranova.

______________________________________________________
Got something to to say? Send us an e-mail at [e-mail] and your comment might be posted on the Rapid Recap. If you'd prefer to make a comment but not have it published on our website send those e-mails to [e-mail].

Trader disclosure: On June 10, 2010, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s Fast Money were owned by the Fast Money traders; Kelly owns (GS) puts; Kelly owns (SPY) puts; Terranova owns (IPSU), (BX), (UDN), (PFE), (RSX), (TER), (AXP), (BMO), (BBY), (DIS), (XCO), (SWN), (GLD), (AAPL), (IPI), (SU), (V), (TEVA), (FXB), (CVS); Adami owns (AGU), (BTU), (C), (GS), (INTC), (MSFT)

Joe Terranova
Terranova works for (VRTS)
Terranova is chief market strategist of Virtus Investment Partners, LTD.
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (AMKR)
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (IGE)
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (DBV)
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (XLB)
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (XLV)
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (XLY)
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (XLI)
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (XLU)
Virtus Investment Partners owns more than 1% of (DRYS)

For Anthony Scaramucci
SkyBridge Capital owns the UK Pound
SkyBridge Capital owns Gold
Scaramucci owns (GS) and (GS) Puts
Scaramucci and Skybridge Capital own (JNJ)

Brian Kelly
Kanundrum Capital is short (GS)
Kanundrum Capital is short (FXI)
Kanundrum Capital is short (RSX)
Kanundrum Capital is short (XLY)
Kanundrum Capital is short (XLK)
Kanundrum Capital is short (XLE)
Kanundrum Capital is short (XLB)
Kanundrum Capital is short (FCX)
Kanundrum Capital is short EURO
Kanundrum Capital is short POUND
Kanundrum Capital is short SWILL
Kanundrum Capital U.S. DOLLAR
Kanundrum Capital owns (GLD)
Kanundrum Capital owns (TLT)
Kanundrum Capital owns (GFI)
Kanundrum Capital owns (AUY)
Kanundrum Capital owns (GDXJ)

Patty Edwards
Edwards owns (AA) for clients
Edwards owns (GE) for clients
Edwards owns (NSC) for clients
Edwards owns (UNP) for clients
Edwards owns (INTC) for clients
Edwards owns (STM) for clients
Edwards owns (TXN) for clients
Edwards owns (NVDA) for clients
Edwards owns (AAPL) for clients
Edwards owns (HPQ) for clients
Edwards owns (MSFT) for clients
Edwards owns (DELL) for clients
Edwards owns (GOOG) for clients
Edwards owns (JPM) for clients
Edwards owns (BAC) for clients
Edwards owns (C) for clients
Edwards owns (WFC) for clients
Edwards owns (MS) for clients
Edwards owns (RIG) for clients
Edwards owns (NE) for clients
Edwards owns (SLB) for clients
Edwards owns (HAL) for clients
Edwards owns (DO) for clients
Edwards owns (VXX) for clients
Edwards owns (SPY) for clients
Edwards owns (QQQQ) for clients
Edwards owns (GLD) for clients
Edwards owns (ORA) for clients
Edwards owns (KFT) for clients

Barry Ritholtz|
Ritholtz Firm owns (C)

For Edward Mills
**no disclosures **

For Peter Boockvar
Boockvar owns Euros

For Brian Stutland
Stutland Equities makes a market in VIX and SPX options



CNBC.com with wires