James Simons was an American mathematician and hedge fund manager who founded the famous Renaissance Technologies, one of the world's most successful hedge fund companies. Simons was a code breaker and an expert in pattern recognition. Using his expertise in the field, he employed mathematical models to analyze hedge funds in his company which provide more accurate predictions than other methods. He also amassed a large personal fortune through his investments and is considered a hero in the mathematical fraternity for having achieved such tremendous success in a field other than mathematics. Simons was always interested in mathematics and dreamed of becoming a career mathematician. He completed his bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and earned his doctorate from the University of California at the age of 23. He proceeded to establish himself as a highly accomplished mathematician, primarily working in the fields of geometry and topology of manifolds. Over the course of his career he also worked with the National Security Agency to break codes and taught mathematics at MIT. He eventually went on to found Renaissance Technologies which made him a billionaire. He was also a generous philanthropist.