The Bond King

How One Man Made a Market, Built an Empire, and Lost It All

By: Mary Childs

Narrated by: Mary Childs

This program is read by the author.

From the host of NPR’s Planet Money, the deeply investigated story of how one visionary, ruthless investor changed American finance forever.

Before Bill Gross was known among investors as the Bond King, he was a gambler. In 1966, a fresh college grad, he went to Vegas armed with his net worth ($200) and a knack for counting cards. Ten thousand dollars and countless casino bans later, he was hooked, so he enrolled in business school.

The Bond King is the story of how that whiz kid made American finance his casino. Over the course of decades, Bill Gross turned the sleepy bond market into a destabilized game of high risk, high reward; founded Pimco, one of today’s most powerful, secretive, and cutthroat investment firms; helped to reshape our financial system in the aftermath of the Great Recession - to his own advantage; and gained legions of admirers, and enemies, along the way. Like every American antihero, his ambition would also be his undoing.

To understand the winners and losers of today’s money game, journalist Mary Childs argues, is to understand the bond market - and to understand the bond market is to understand the Bond King.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books

©2021 Mary Childs (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

2022, Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

Great book and performance by the author

The story covered the details of so many large events I didn’t know the inside information for until now. Also where “the new normal” came from and the backstory to why Mohammed El Erian is always on CNBC

Nerdy & Juicy

Brilliantly reported, and a fun ride for those interested in wall st and money. Bravo!

Good driving while listening book

Excellent to listen too. I had to look up the latest saga to the neighbor artwork gilligans island song warfare. They finally settled with each side declaring victory in June.

I appreciate that Mary narrated her book

I listened to the entire book twice. Mary’s experience with the content makes her uniquely qualified to tell her own years long story. I am old enough to remember many many of these events. Having a chance to go down memory lane, and learn many additional details about the characters involved, has been fun. Thank you Mary for your dedication in bringing this book to us lifetime financial advisors.

Fun look into the life of an investing icon.

So many times the story you thought you knew is so wrong. Great story would recommend the book.

Bravo!

Fantastic! Great story. Rich detail, humanistic, captivating, very well written. Entertaining, nerdy detail on esoteric subject, but approachable... can't wait for Mary Childs next book.

If Planet Money and The Big Short had a Gross baby

Interesting story on a topic many likely aren’t familiar with. Very pleasant narration, easy to listen to. Was planning on listening to a chapter a day but ended up finishing it in 3 days. Each chapter is like an extended episode of Planet Money.

As a side note, I used to work at the country club across from the PIMCO office and we see a few of the people mentioned in the book everyday. Pretty nice people actually, but shit golfers. Gross always came out late to play a couple holes and would make you stay past dark but he also was usually good for a tip when he finished. Was pleased to read the epilogue and hear how Gross had changed since his PIMCO days

Modern financial history

Childs has done a thorough investigation and documentation of the rise and fall of Bill Gross. Her reading of the audio version is perfect.

Great look back at events that had happen.

Thier isn't really any fianice advise, as much as a realization of how a successful company got, and how the man leading his own downfall.

It was a fun read

Quite excellent!

Educational and thought provoking. It’s in the same league as “When Genius Failed” as a profile of a financial giant’s rise to power with the subsequent cautionary tale to follow. Well done, Mary Childs.