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Laura PedersenThe youngest American trader, writer
Date of Birth: 08.10.1968
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Laura Pedersen
Laura Pedersen, the youngest American trader and writer, was born on October 8, 1965, in Buffalo, New York. After graduating from high school in 1983, she moved to Manhattan and started working at the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). At the age of 20, Laura became a partner at a trading firm, and shortly after, she earned a finance degree from New York University in 1987. This made Pedersen the youngest woman to make it to Wall Street at the age of 17.
Early Life and Career
Laura's interest in business started at a young age. Growing up in the suburbs of Buffalo, she began selling tomatoes at the age of 6, which were grown by her mother. She played poker and placed bets on horses. On her 10th birthday, she asked for shares of the Pepsi company as a gift. At the age of 14, Laura visited the AMEX during a trip to New York. After spending one semester at the University of Michigan, Pedersen, a natural entrepreneur, dropped out to pursue a career on Wall Street. Starting in the winter of 1984, Laura worked as a clerk, earning $120 per week. She switched companies several times, eventually settling into a position as an investor relations secretary, filling in for traders during their breaks. According to Laura, it was a world full of vulgar gestures and profanity. As she progressed in her career, Pedersen went from being a pinch-hitter to a certified specialist, doing "everything her parents told her never to do." In a little over four years, she brought in $5.3 million in profits for the company she worked for.
Writing Career
By the age of 24, based on her doctor's advice, Pedersen decided to leave Wall Street due to health problems, including issues with her eyes, throat, and ears. Throughout her years in finance, she kept a diary, which became her first writing endeavor. Her debut book, "Play Money" (1991), about the "last gasps of the trading art," became a bestseller. As a result, Laura was invited to appear on CNN, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Good Morning America," "Primetime Live," "The Today Show," and "Late Show with David Letterman." In 1994, President Bill Clinton honored Pedersen with the title of "One of Ten Outstanding Young Americans." From 1995 to 2002, Laura worked as a columnist for The New York Times. From 1999 to 2002, she hosted her own television show on The Oxygen Channel.
Literary Work
Laura Pedersen's first novel, "Going Away Party," won three Oaks Prizes in 2001 for "Fiction Literature." Her other novel, "The Big Shuffle," was named the "Best Adult Novel for Teens" by the New York Public Library. In addition to these works, she also released a romantic comedy novel called "Last Call." Her collection of stories, "The Sweetest Hours: Buffalo Gal" (2008), which humorously reminisces about life in the once-thriving industrial region of the 1970s known as the "Rust Belt," where the steel industry played a significant role, was named the "Best Autobiography" by ForeWord magazine and received the Eric Hoffer Book Award. In her collection of humorous essays, "Buffalo Unbound" (2010), Pedersen talks about the ongoing revitalization of her hometown and the Western New York area. Laura Pedersen currently teaches at Booker T. Washington Learning Center in East Harlem and is a member of the PEN International Writers' Association.
