David Ricardo: the world’s greatest investors

David Ricardo’s status was made during the Battle of Waterloo, spreading false rumours to manipulate the market.

Dr Matthew Partridge
By
published
in Features

817-Ricardo-1200

David Ricardo spread false rumours after the Battle of Waterloo

Ricardo was a political economist and, along with the likes of Adam Smith, one of the first major economic thinkers. He was a staunch opponent of the Corn Laws, which imposed restrictions and tariffs on imported grain and hence kept prices high. His theory of comparative advantage is still taught to economics students as one of the key reasons why free trade is good for society. Ricardo was also a successful investor.

Born in London in 1772, he left school at 14 to take a job at his father's stockbroking firm. For the next 30 years he traded stocks and bonds on the London Stock Exchange, successfully retiring shortly after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

What was his strategy?

Did this work?

What was his best investment?

What lessons can Ricardo teach us?

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Dr Matthew Partridge
Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri

Latest