RAY DALIO

In 1975, Ray Dalio founded Bridgewater Associates out of his two-bedroom apartment in NYC. He ran it for most of its 50 years, building it into the largest hedge fund in the world. Over his career, Bridgewater grew into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine, and Dalio himself was named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Along the way, he discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater's exceptionally effective culture. It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success.

Dalio is a long-running New York Times bestselling author whose works include Principles: Life and Work, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises, and How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle. He has been married to his wife, Barbara, for nearly 50 years and has three grown sons and seven grandchildren.