Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Bill Perkins, the founder of Skylar Capital Management, wagers in the notoriously boom-or-bust energy markets, while working on two startups, SkyFi and SynMax. But there’s nothing he seems quite as dedicated to as enjoying his life, and fortune. In his early days, the hedge-fund manager drove a limo for extra cash. He told us about the “rocket ships” that catapulted his career.
WSJ’s Gunjan Banerji sat down with Perkins for The WSJ Money Interview to learn about how he climbed the ranks of the trading world to start his own hedge fund. Have an idea for a future episode? Or a topic you'd love our next guest to weigh in on? Write to the host at gunjan.banerji@wsj.com and follow her here.
Chapters:
0:00 Bill’s wealth and tortoises
0:44 Bill’s beginnings after college
2:16 Next steps and the power of leverage
3:45 Entering options trading in Texas
4:31 Hitting the millionaire mark
5:35 Taking risks and buying planes
6:26 Joining and getting fired from his friend’s fund
7:21 Starting your own hedge fund
8:00 Almost going to zero
9:00 Investing in art
Subscribers get access to full-length episodes of The WSJ Money Interview, plus the chance to have their questions answered by our millionaire guest. Watch the full series here: on.wsj.com/4tCR0lZ
The WSJ Money Interview
What can some of the world’s most interesting tycoons teach us about money and success? WSJ’s Gunjan Banerji sits down with highfliers for a candid conversation about how they made it.
#Finance #Money #WSJ
Bill Perkins, the founder of Skylar Capital Management, wagers in the notoriously boom-or-bust energy markets, while working on two startups, SkyFi and SynMax. But there’s nothing he seems quite as dedicated to as enjoying his life, and fortune. In his early days, the hedge-fund manager drove a limo for extra cash. He told us about the “rocket ships” that catapulted his career.
WSJ’s Gunjan Banerji sat down with Perkins for The WSJ Money Interview to learn about how he climbed the ranks of the trading world to start his own hedge fund. Have an idea for a future episode? Or a topic you'd love our next guest to weigh in on? Write to the host at gunjan.banerji@wsj.com and follow her here.
Chapters:
0:00 Bill’s wealth and tortoises
0:44 Bill’s beginnings after college
2:16 Next steps and the power of leverage
3:45 Entering options trading in Texas
4:31 Hitting the millionaire mark
5:35 Taking risks and buying planes
6:26 Joining and getting fired from his friend’s fund
7:21 Starting your own hedge fund
8:00 Almost going to zero
9:00 Investing in art
Subscribers get access to full-length episodes of The WSJ Money Interview, plus the chance to have their questions answered by our millionaire guest. Watch the full series here: on.wsj.com/4tCR0lZ
The WSJ Money Interview
What can some of the world’s most interesting tycoons teach us about money and success? WSJ’s Gunjan Banerji sits down with highfliers for a candid conversation about how they made it.
#Finance #Money #WSJ
