Jim Rogers

Who is he:  James "Jim" Rogers is a bestselling author, financial commentator and sucessful international investor. Rogers was a co-founder of the Quantum Fund (considered to be the first truly international fund of its kind) and is the creator of the Rogers International Commodities Index (RICI). 

Jim Rogers has issued many warnings about the West's debt-making profligacy and has concluded that China will likely constitute tomorrow's most powerful nation-state, in large part because of the energy and discipline of its billion-plus citizens. Rogers is author of many well-received books including the best-selling Investment Biker, a free-market oriented meditation on life and investing.

There are enormous changes taking place in China, Rogers believes, which may be compared to Britain in 1807, before Britain emerged as a world power. The same could be said for the US in 1907. America was virtually bankrupt in 1907. Yet, in fact, America was on the verge of becoming the greatest success of the 20th century.

China has had recurring periods of greatness three or four times in the last few thousand years. Britain was great once, Egypt was great once, and Rome was great once. But China has been great three or four times. The 20th Century was a disaster for China but the 21st century may see China's growth reign supreme over the rest of the world.

Rogers has said he doesn't rely on anything except decades of investing for information and his own personal experiences. Government information especially is untrustworthy. Rogers has therefore investigated China on his own and come to his own positive conclusions. There is no question China is going to have some setbacks along the way, probably some horrible setbacks. But Rogers points to America's similar example in the 19th century. America had 15 depressions and a Civil War and then became a world power.

Rogers says in interviews that his thinking has changed over the years. Thirty years ago Rogers believed that China was a horrible nation. Today Rogers believes that China may one day lead the world. Most are aware of change, but they don't spot it soon enough. Rogers tries to spot change and has a proven track record of being capable of doing so. Rogers believes that identifying change equates with making smart investment decisions and growing wealth. Rogers does not believe in predicting short-term market moves or price fluctuations but rather prefers to focus on long-term growth trends.

Background: James Beeland Rogers, Jr. was born on October 19, 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland but spent most of his early years growing up in Demopolis, Alabama.  Jim Rogers was entrepreneurial from a young age. His first business venture at age five involved selling peanuts. Rogers attended Yale University where Rogers received a degree in philosophy, and then also Oxford University, where he focused on economics. When asked to define his over-arching world perspective, Rogers says he is not part of any specific school of thought but would be most accurately described as having Austrian economic views. Perhaps a good illustration of his Austrian leanings would be Rogers' endorsement of Congressman Ron Paul during the 2008 US Presidential elections.

In 1970, Jim Rogers and George Soros founded the Quantum Fund, possibly the most famous and successful fund of its type, and one that made both of them high-profile public figures. Despite his success, Rogers still makes media and television appearances, focused on the free-market principles he believes in and investments, especially in commodities, that he espouses.

Today, Jim Rogers lives in Singapore with his wife and two daughters – who not surprisingly are learning to speak Mandarin Chinese. As Rogers has famously stated, "If you were smart in 1807 you moved to London, if you were smart in 1907 you moved to New York City, and if you are smart in 2007 you move to Asia." Jim Rogers is truly walking the talk.

Jim Rogers: Site Contributions

News & Analysis

Exclusive Interviews

Videos

View All Contributions for Jim Rogers