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Grandmaster: Legendary Investor Bill O’Neil 189

Bill also has a work ethic that would frankly exhaust most mere mortals.
An enormous amount of Bill’s success appears to be sheer genius, but he is
a man who is willing to outwork almost everyone, and this gives him the
edge. Bill has said, “The most successful people are those willing to do what
others are not.” He also has a laser beam focus of attention. When he was a
younger man, this must have been somewhat intimidating.
Whenever I have had discussions with Bill, whether it concerns a busi-
ness matter or a chart that I might have asked a question about, he has an
ability to focus like few people I have ever met. Bill’s ability to focus so
intensely is part of his investing success. He can study a chart and can zero
in on its intricate details in a way that is truly amazing.

The Teacher
When Bill started IBD, he knew that investors needed to be introduced to
the concepts and features, and he also knew that if he spoke in front of large
groups, that more and more investors across the country could learn an
investing system that would help them financially. So for years, Bill would
give free workshops and share his market knowledge. It is impossible to
track how many people Bill influenced through these free workshops, but
the numbers are large, given the quantity of testimonials that have come
into IBD over the years. For many people, hearing Bill speak changed their
lives forever.
Over the years, Bill has taught at countless IBD Workshops and always
stays afterwards to answer questions from attendees until the hotel where
the event is held literally turns off the lights in the room. He is always
incredibly patient and wants to answer everyone’s questions.
It is the same when Bill speaks in front of an IBD Meetup Group. I have
had the great privilege of opening many of these Meetup groups in the
Southern California area with Bill. He is giving in every situation, staying
after the presentation to help answer questions, patiently addressing each
investor’s concerns until the last question is answered. When the local
library or community room where we were holding the Meetup had to
close, Bill would graciously continue the conversation and take it outside to
the curb, patio, or whatever was available, always wanting the individual
investor to find success in the market.
You will never find Bill on the finest golf courses in America, nor sailing
on an expensive yacht, but you will find him giving endlessly of his time so