2007-07-05 13:44:49
Jim Cramer: Do you Love Him or Do you Hate Him?
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I think that regardless of your feelings about Jim Cramer, you could probably agree that he is probably the most polarizing figure in the stock market today. People seem to be divided into two factions regarding Jim Cramer; either they really, really like him, or really, really hate him. There is no middle ground when it comes to Jim Cramer, and that is by design.
Cramer is a pretty shrewd marketer of his own image. You may see Cramer on Conan acting totally insane, and think that he's lost his marbles. This is all part of Cramer's marketing plan, to get people to watch his show and read his writings on thestreet.com. When it comes to Cramer, every move is calculated and intended to build awareness.
In case you didn't know, Jim Cramer rose to prominence when he ran the hedge fund called Cramer Berkowitz. He was an extremely successful hedge fund manager, making hundreds of millions of dollars for himself and his clients. He really became a public name when he co-founded thestreet.com and started penning daily missives regarding his stock market trades. Cramer did not hold back on anything, and frequently drew the ire of other investors, CEO's and even the SEC. Cramer would regularly appear on CNBC, and his raw style both endeared him to millions of people and angered millions of people at the same time.
Those who are in the pro-Cramer camp say that he has brought the stock market to the masses, and stripped down the mystery regarding the stock market. He has made trading accessible and cool for Joe Average, who might have never thought of trading their own portfolio. They would say that Cramer was a massively successful hedge fund manager with a knack for picking winning plays. They would also say that even though he can get overly-excited, it is just because he is passionate about the stock market.
Those in the anti-Cramer camp would say that much of his hedge fund success was due to the fact that he received information before the rest of the investing public. They would also say that he was a slave-driver when it came to his employees, and much of his success could be attributed to his employees, and not necessarily himself. They would argue that Cramer is a flip-flopper, and has made some monumentally bad calls in the past.
My opinion on Cramer? I admire him quite a bit. He is an incredibly smart man, and has done extremely well for himself in the stock market. He was smart enough to get out of the hedge fund game when he realized that it just wasn't healthy for him anymore. He is a strong writer, a funny guy, and has brought the stock market to the masses. He is a bit over the top, but would you watch his show if he were subdued or buttoned down? No, and that's the point. His antics draw you into the program, and before you know it, you've just been educated for an hour about the stock market and some potential plays.
Cramer gets a thumbs up from me. Anyone with that kind of passion for the stock market will always have a special place in my heart.
Filed under: Trader Profiles
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