From the Desk of Eugene Plotkin

  Eugene, when did you start collecting? I’ve been collecting music in many forms since I was a young child. I started with little cassettes when I was growing up. Everyone got a Walkman so you could have what you want to listen to on hand. Otherwise, you were stuck just waiting for the radio to play that one song you wanted to hear. As a kid I started out with only a couple of tapes, and I heard those songs a million times each. I would buy more each week with my allowance, and then later I got into collecting vinyl records. What was your very first record? I moved to the U.S. in the mid-’90s and I was obsessed with American music, so there was a lot to choose from. But truthfully I’ve always been drawn to older styles and performers and specifically jazz. Something about it is nostalgic even if you aren’t from that time and place, but it’s always fresh at the same time. When everyone was listening to Pink Floyd or Eminem, I was looking for rare Billie Holiday albums. I think it w...

  The world economy will benefit as new technology helps more people achieve financial literacy, says fintech expert and former investment banking analyst Eugene Plotkin .  Financial literacy, or a basic understanding of money and financial skills, is an essential part of life. Unfortunately, only about one-third of adults worldwide understand it. Without financial literacy, people are more likely to fall victim to scams, inadequately save for retirement, live in poverty, and make bad financial decisions.  However, financial technology (fintech) is poised to create a sea change that will benefit individuals, companies, governments, and the macroeconomy, according to Plotkin.  “As we continue to transition from a physical economy in which people use paper money to a digital-first economy, the rules will keep changing,” he says. “The internet has already disrupted so many industries and finance is not immune. These days, people don’t have to rely on banks to access th...

    If you haven’t heard the story of how a $13 billion hedge fund lost half its value thanks to a renegade band of amateur investors, strap in. It’s quite a ride.  To understand the story completely, we spoke with Eugene Plotkin , a financial expert and former investment banker .  The story begins with Gabriel Plotkin, the founder and chief investment officer of Melvin Capital Management. A wunderkind in every sense of the word, he quickly gained notoriety as a disciplined trader with a knack for short sales.  “He was remarkably good at noticing the cracks in the foundations of big companies before anyone else did,” Eugene Plotkin says. “In the aftermath of the historic losses and all the media attention, people tend to forget that. Gabe Plotkin made a lot of money by being very smart and seeing before anyone else.” And the payoffs were big. Melvin Capital delivered returns of more than 30% by following Gabe Plotkin’s analyses. So, when he decided to short buy ...

  News that Ribbit Capital secured its seventh fund with a whopping $1.15 billion is a solid indication the fintech sector is set to rebound to a post-pandemic hot streak well into next year.    The firm, which was an early investor in ventures like Robinhood and Coinbase, has one of the highest unicorn batting averages of any VC firm. It’s worth watching where it’s putting its muscle.  The new fund’s high-dollar raise is a very public clue the COVID-inspired dip in the fintech market won’t stick around much longer. Fintech stocks have already hinted at a rebound and confidence is high that, once again, the financial services market will break big in the coming months.    “Ribbit’s remarkable track record is a solid indication that it does two things extremely well,” says fintech consultant and former investment banker Eugene Plotkin . “First, it keeps its focus trained on a single area — in this case, fintech. Restricting its investments to one sector allo...

  Feeding your dog well is just as important as feeding yourself — and can be just as challenging. Your pet is relying on you to curate the best possible diet for them, but it can be daunting to navigate all the pet health info out there. What’s good and what’s not? Do you need to spend hours a week doing food prep? Many people don’t have time for intense regimens, complicated recipes, or hunting down rare ingredients. Especially living in a city, keeping your dog happy and healthy can feel like an insurmountable quest. If you’re looking for the best ways to upgrade your dog’s diet and get them happy and healthy, it may take a little elbow grease but it’s not out of reach. And, of course, it will be worth it for your pet to have a long and woof-filled life. Let’s get into it with self-proclaimed dog dad to pooch Cooper and NYC fintech CEO Eugene Plotkin , a puppy park regular and dog health enthusiast. Many people choose to feed their canine dry food. Feeding your dog kibble is fin...

  What if I told you that being a dog owner not only changed my life for the better, but helped me get my head in the game and succeed in business ? Here’s Cooper, my big, loving, 5-year-old long-haired golden retriever. When I adopted Cooper as a puppy in 2017, I never could have imagined what it would do for my life — the rewards and the challenges. First things first, I’ll be up front: I have always been a dog person. But I never thought I would be a dog owner as an adult. When I was growing up, my family had a very sweet and beloved Siberian husky named Sonia. She was an important part of everyday life, like any other member of the family. She was there for everything from sleeping next to me during late nights studying to cheering me on at Saturday games. Obviously, she had a huge impact on me, but she sadly passed away while I was away at college. Fast-forward to a different time in my life. When I was working as an analyst about 10 years ago, I was still working hard and pl...

  Nina Simone once said: “Jazz is not just music; it’s a way of life, a way of being, a way of thinking… the new inventive phrases we make up to describe things — all that to me is jazz just as much as the music we play.”  Indeed a candlelit table, an orange peel resting on the rim of your freshly made sidecar, and the tremble of a trombone resounding off exposed brick has all the makings of a perfect date, a night out with pals, or a solo night as a lounge lizard. Jazz clubs the world over have also long been the sites of legendary business wheelings and dealings. From The Spotted Cat in New Orleans to Tramjazz in Rome, an inspiring evening with the soulful mood of classical or contemporary jazz is the perfect setting for wooing clients and investors. You can almost feel the history being made over a song and a cocktail. No one knows more about tunes and tech than CEO and jazz lover Eugene Plotkin . Plotkin is a lifelong fintech enthusiast whose obsession took him from inves...