Tom Basso (aka Mr. Serenity / Trendstat Capital) 

Tom Basso, nicknamed “Mr. Serenity,” by Jack Schwager in the book, The New Market Wizards, is a retired hedge‑fund manager and prominent educator in trend‑following. He bought his first mutual fund at age 12, studied chemical engineering at Clarkson University and worked as an engineer for several years. Intrigued by markets, he became a registered investment adviser in 1980 and a commodities trading adviser in 1984. That same year he founded Trendstat Capital Management, which he ran as chief executive for two decades. Trendstat grew to manage roughly $600 million using systematic trend‑following strategies. Basso also served on the board of the National Futures Association and wrote books including Panic‑Proof Investing, Successful Traders Size Their Positions – Why and How, and his most recent effort, The All-Weather Trader.  

After retiring from money management in 2003, Basso has focused on education. He runs the website enjoytheride.world, where he shares articles, research, and interviews. He is also chairman of Standpoint Funds Management, a firm applying diversified systematic strategies to The Standpoint Multi-Asset fund. Basso emphasizes psychology and position sizing, insisting that risk control is more important than entry and exit signals. His decades of experience and dedication to teaching make him a respected voice in quantitative trading.