Biography of Larry R. Williams: From Trading Triumphs to Political Endeavors
Biography of Larry R. Williams:
Origins & Early Days
Larry Richard Williams was born on October 6, 1942, in Miles
City, Montana. He attended Billings High School and later studied journalism at
the University of Oregon, graduating in 1964. During his college years, he was
active in Alpha Delta Sigma and once served as its national president. He also
co-founded the “Rock ’N Roll Marathons,” which have raised over $320 million
for various charities.
Biography of Larry R. Williams: From Trading Triumphs to Political Endeavors#American author, stock and commodity trader#age#net worth#investor#
First Steps in Markets & Realization of Flaws
Larry’s interest in markets began in the early 1960s. By
1966, he had begun trading, first focusing on stocks and relying heavily on
technical indicators. He quickly realized that a rigid reliance on charts alone
wasn’t reliable. Over time, he evolved a more adaptive approach.
Because computing tools were scarce then, Williams started
manually recording and analyzing price data—an effort that gave him deep
insight into patterns, price behavior, and chart structures. This painstaking
process was foundational to many of his later innovations.
Breakthroughs: Indicators & Trading Innovation
Larry Williams is best known for developing widely used
indicators, including Williams %R, the Ultimate Oscillator, and various
COT (Commitments of Traders) based indices and sentiment measures.
He describes himself as a “conditional trader”,
meaning he judges trades not by isolated signals but by how they align with
broader market conditions and the actions of major market players.
The Legendary 1987 Championship
In 1987, Williams entered the World Cup Championship of
Futures Trading (WCFT). Using his custom indicators and market insight, he
turned a $10,000 account into $1,137,600 in 12 months—a staggering
~11,300% return. While the result has not been independently verified via bank
statements, it remains a legendary feat in trading lore.
Politics, Public Life & Family
Beyond trading, Williams twice ran as a Republican candidate
for the U.S. Senate from Montana—in 1978 and 1982—but was unsuccessful in both
general elections.
He is also the father of Michelle Williams, the
Oscar-nominated actress, and Jason Williams, a psychiatrist and author
in trading psychology.
Strategy, Discipline & Legacy
Larry Williams is respected not just for bold performance,
but for advocating disciplined risk control. His methods blend fundamentals
(such as the COT report) with technical entries/exits, strict stop management,
measured bet sizing, and letting winners run.
He has taught countless traders through seminars, books, and
videos. Notably, he remains one of the few traders known to have traded $1
million of his own money live in educational settings.
He also funds a scholarship at the University of Oregon in memory of his professor Max Wales, aimed at journalism and communication students who show creativity even if their GPA is modest
