Wes Gray Is An Intentional Investor

Wes Gray grew up on farms. As a kid, he wanted to stop being broke as much as he wanted to get rich. When a lucky break on a cow he raised (shoutout Big Red) won him a few thousand dollars worth of prize money at a local fair (RIP Big Red), his dad said, “You’ve got more money than me! Better talk to Grandma Ginny.”

Ginny introduces him to Buffett. Buffett gets him to Graham. An obsessed with value, country-traveling family farm kid started to discover his path out of never being broke again. 

There’s Wharton, there’s Chicago, there’s the PhD with not one but three legendary advisors (Fama, Frazzini, and Thaler… yeah). 

There’s the Yahoo Finance message board relationships, the Joel Greenblatt Value Investors Club membership, and the dissertation that binds them all. 

There’s the 4-year break from the PhD to go serve in the Marines. 

Read that last sentence again. 

There’s the 4-year break from the PhD to go serve in the Marines, which is where we start, and how his girlfriend-turned-now-wife said, “OK,” his parents just didn’t exactly understand (there might have been a white lie in there somewhere), and his doctoral advisors collectively approved even if it didn’t make much sense to them. 

Wes has got life experience. He’s got a deep sense of community building every step of the way. And, most of all, he’s got an undeniable desire to make sure no one around him is breakable. 

Not broke, and not with rich as the ultimate or exclusive goal, whatever those financial words even mean. 

But not broken. In spirit, in body, in wealth. He’s built to make sure his people know, if they’re on his team, they’re going to do this. Whatever this may be. And they’re doing it together.

That’s why Wes Gray is an Intentional Investor. 

Watch/Listen to our talk on the Epsilon Theory YouTube Channel, or wherever you get your podcasts, he’s got a hell of a story:

ps!

A story I didn’t tell in my hour+ interview with Wes is how, when I was thinking about changing jobs and was actively seeking advice, 3 different people said, “You should talk to Wes.” 

I only kind of knew Wes at the time. I knew his writing, I own (and have read) all the books, plus we’d even traded multiple emails over the years. I knew him to be gracious, thoughtful, and responsive at that level. But I didn’t know him in a “Hey I’m turning my life inside out can I get your brain on my chaos” well. 

On the suggestion and then introduction of several friends, I found myself on the phone with Wes on at least two occasions, while he took time out of his day to help me. 

Amongst the logical help he provided, he also made several introductions. Those included the intros to Jack Forehand and Justin Carbonneau, who got me onto their YouTube/podcast, and started this whole chapter. 

I say this as post-script so you can read the curiosity and satisfaction on my face as I’m peppering him with questions about life. Now you know why I feel, not so much a debt, but a tremendous respect for this man and what he’s built. Wes is a real one.