Burton G. Malkiel
Born: August 28, 1932 – Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Burton G. Malkiel is an American economist and investment writer known for explaining efficient markets, portfolio theory, and long-term index investing to general readers. His best-known book, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, became a classic personal-finance guide, selling more than a million copies and shaping generations of individual investors.
Biography & Author's Journey
Burton G. Malkiel’s career joined scholarship, public service, and practical finance in a way that gave his writing unusual authority. Born in Boston on August 28, 1932, he attended Boston Latin School, earned a B.A. from Harvard College in 1953 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1955, then served three years as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Finance Corps. After a period at Smith, Barney & Co., he returned to academic economics, completed a Princeton Ph.D. in 1964, and joined the Princeton faculty that same year. Two later turning points widened his influence: service on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers from 1975 to 1977 and his deanship at the Yale School of Organization and Management from 1981 to 1988. Those roles helped make him not only a theorist of markets, but also a public-facing interpreter of how institutions shape investor behavior. ((https://www.princeton.edu/~bmalkiel/LongVitae-update%20March%201%2C%202017.pdf))
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A random walk down Wall Street
Burton G. Malkiel
A classic guide to investing that challenges Wall Street wisdom and advocates for a long-term, index-based approach to building wealth.
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A concise guide offering timeless investment principles to help any investor succeed in challenging financial markets.
A random walk down Wall Street
Burton G. Malkiel
A classic guide to investing that challenges Wall Street wisdom and advocates for a long-term, index-based approach to building wealth.
The elements of investing
Burton G. Malkiel & Charles D. Ellis
A concise guide offering timeless investment principles to help any investor succeed in challenging financial markets.
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Community Voices
"Talk to 10 money experts and you're likely to hear 10 recommendations for Burton G. Malkiel's classic investing book"
— Wall Street Journal
"Burton G. Malkiel wrote the investment classic that sparked the shift toward low-cost passive index investing"
— CNBC
"No one knows more about investing than Charley Ellis and Burton G. Malkiel"
— Consuelo Mack
"Do you want to do well in the stock market? Here's the best advice: buy Burton G. Malkiel's book"
— Los Angeles Times
"Dr Burton G. Malkiel is a Princeton professor and leading proponent of the efficient market hypothesis"
— Investors' Chronicle
"Burton G. Malkiel, a Princeton economist and professional investor, backs it all up with statistics, charts and studies"
— Publishers Weekly
"Burton G. Malkiel is the Princeton economist whose book launched the index-investing movement"
— CBS News
"The efficient-market hypothesis was popularized by Burton G. Malkiel in his 1973 book A Random Walk Down Wall Street"
— The Fiscal Times
"Daniel Akst said Burton G. Malkiel's book retains the author's trademark blend of erudition and wit"
— Daniel Akst
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
