Thomas M Clay

I studied Classics as an undergraduate, then began working for my family's investment company. I have been a hands-on investor in and manager of companies in a wide variety of industries including biotech, mining, oil & gas, and advanced materials. I've been involved in corporate efforts to mine gold and silver in California, grow roses in Guatemala, manufacture and sell crystals that go in laser systems for quantum computing applications, and even rear genetically modified mosquitoes in order to fight the spread of mosquito-born diseases. I spend much of my time thinking about financial markets.

I serve on the boards of nonprofits that support research in mathematics and astronomy. My wife is a professor in the CU Boulder Classics department, and in between semesters she runs an archaeological dig in Egypt.

I studied at Harvard (BA and MBA) and Oxford (MSt).

My advice to students...

I cannot overemphasize the importance of simply showing up and earnestly applying yourself to whatever task is at hand. In my experience, reliability counts for far more than outstanding ability or genius. If by the time you finish college you are the sort of person whom a friend, family member, teacher, teammate, or employer knows they can absolutely count on to show up and do your best when called upon, I think your odds of success are high. You
won't excel at everything you touch, but you will almost certainly find a life in which you are valued and successful.

The world is unpredictable. Almost the only thing that can be known with certainty is that everyone will encounter serious setbacks. The people whom I have seen do best are those who are resilient to misfortune. They can't avoid it, but they can choose to make the best of it.