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Many things make legends who they are. It seems the commonality is the ability to perform at a very high level over an extended period of time. Looking at Fischer Black, Peter Carr, Rick Rubin, George Box, Gilbert Strang, and John Nash it is interesting to see so many difference between them yet they have all had significant contributions to their area of expertise. Soft skills seem to play some part of this title of being a legend. There are many people who made one contribution but seem to have faded and forgotten.

For quants it seems one must contribute academic ideas as well as have some sort of unique difference that helps others. Peter Carr's legacy seems to be amplified by his generosity of time and ability to teach. I would argue the success of making money contributes very little to being a quant. Investors and traders are very different than quants.

Rick Rubin Interview (Joe Rogan):
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5oDyN0CFjEwClqjZxJQf9O

Gilbert Strang Interview (Lex Fridman):
https://youtu.be/lEZPfmGCEk0?si=G5K6HpS4LkftujCh

MIT Course - Gilbert Strang:
https://youtu.be/ZK3O402wf1c?si=m8QWrXTeVWVi086G

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