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John MoodyAmerican financial analyst and investor
Country:
 USA |
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Biography of John Moody
John Moody was an American financial analyst and investor who revolutionized the field of credit ratings. He was born in 1868 in Jersey City, New Jersey, to William Francis Moody and Sarah Jane Nichols. He had four siblings: Jeanette Hope Moody, William Francis Moody, Eliot Crofts Moody, and Arthur Henry Herbert Moody.
Early Career
John's career began at the age of 21 when he started as a runner and stamp licker at a bank. Over the course of almost 10 years, he steadily climbed the corporate ladder, moving from the accounting department to the sales department, eventually becoming the head of sales. In 1898, he decided to venture out on his own and established his own business after creating a statistics department. It was during this time that he developed a bond rating system and founded 'Moody's Investors Service'. This rating system allowed for the differentiation of bonds issued by 250 railroad companies in the United States. Moody's achievement gained widespread recognition and his rating scale is still widely used today.
Moody's Investors Service
Moody's Investors Service went through a period of acquisition by the 'Dun & Bradstreet' corporation before becoming independent again in October 2000. Moody's status in the financial world was highlighted by American journalist Thomas Friedman, who commented in 1996: "Today, there are two superpowers in the world: the United States and Moody's bond rating system. The United States can destroy you by dropping bombs, and Moody's can destroy you by downgrading your bonds. And believe me, it's not clear which one can do more damage."
Personal Life and Legacy
John Moody married Anna Mulford Addison, who was born in Nice, France. They had two children, including Ernest Addison Moody, a philosopher and medievalist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Tragically, their other son, John Edmund Moody, died from typhoid fever in Messina, Italy. Moody holds a Doctor of Laws degree from Boston College and was initiated as a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem by Pope Pius XI.
Throughout his life, Moody authored several books, including his autobiographical works 'The Long Road Home' (1933) and 'Fast by the Road' (1942), as well as a biography titled 'John Henry Newman' (1945), a biographical study.
John Moody passed away on February 16, 1958, in Los Angeles, California, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of finance and credit ratings.
