I haven't read it, but I have a feeling we're not talking about the same people. I'm not talking about successful investors and millionaires. I'm talking specifically about net worth north of $200M in today's dollars. Not the people who jumped from their windows during the Depression. The ones who bought their stock and waited it out.

Edit: I've now read a few reviews and summaries of Devil Take The Hindmost. Its subtitle is "A History Of Financial Speculation," and it appears that its subject matter is not focused on ultra-wealthy persons with diversified portfolios being ruined by market corrections, but specifically speculators and frauds. At a glance, it doesn't look particularly relevant to this conversation.

Some of the _wealthiest_ people in modern history have lost it all. A recent example is Eike Batista.

Batista is currently under arrest and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for bribing disgraced Rio de Janeiro governor Sérgio Cabral, in order to secure public contracts, according to Wikipedia[0].

I'd prefer an example that isn't somebody who wound up in prison.

0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eike_Batista

Read the book then because I’m not going to search through it to cite a rich person who lost it all that fits your changing criteria.

Citing an entire book as a source is quite frankly a ridiculous suggestion. You are suggesting that the poster should spend hours proving your position for you when you wont spend a few minutes.

My criteria didn't change. I was talking about people who were ruined by the market, and your example seems to be someone who was ruined by his own crimes.

I would like to know of one ultra-wealthy individual who ended up possessing nothing and was made homeless; I don't intend this to be callous but while committing suicide is a tragedy but it does't mean some rich person was going to end up homeless. Being homeless means you're at a point where no one can or will take you in, and I have a very hard time imagining a hedge fund billionaire in that position.

The poor rich people “who suffer the most” is a great point ironically. Loss is harder for those who have never had to face it.

Honestly this is why I never want to be wealthy or even rich. Living middle class with a roof and food is plenty.

Odd isnt it ?

They can declare bankruptcy and be free from all debt whereas your average college student cant escape.

Should we expect to see students jumping off of buildings soon ?

IMO schools should stand surety for students. Would solve many, many societal problems by putting their skin in the game, rather than using government subsidized loans that can't be defaulted.