4 ms·

Leaked Apple secrets lead to arrests

2 points by edw519 16y ago

iuguy 16y ago
I wonder how often this happens, and what the value of the information being provided to the hedge funds is. Anyone on HN got any information on the matter they can share?
- kls 16y ago
  It happens a good deal, it is probably better if I just leave it at the industry has a reputation for managers asking and consultants deciding if they want to bite or not. There are some very reputable groups like Primary Insight that work very hard to keep a legitimate consulting network, while others actively seek out inside trader consultants. As to the value, the $400k they paid these guys is peanuts to what they make on this kind of info. If you have billions that you can move in the market and someone tells you "oh hey, Apple is building a tablet and it is going to drop this quarter, their internal market analysis looks like they will sell 3 million units in this quarter", you have basically just been given the keys to the mint. Because you are able to time you investment to the date range in which the tablet will drop. Meaning you don't need to tie that capital up speculating on when it will drop. The value is easily in the billions of dollars. I am surprised the "consultants" sold the secrets for so little actually.
kls 16y ago
You know, I do the kind of consulting "not the inside trading part" they are speaking about in this article. It pays very well, I was once contacted by the company in question about doing some work and the numbers they where kicking around where way out of the norm for this kind of work. 3 to 4 times the standard hourly rate that most technologist charge for industry analysis. Fortunately for me, I never knew the specifics of the gig and it did not materialize. I can only assume that they targeted me due to my clientele list. You really have to watch yourself in this line of consulting, it is really easy to run afoul of some pretty serious crimes.

4 ms·

Leaked Apple secrets lead to arrests

2 points by edw519 16y ago

iuguy 16y ago
I wonder how often this happens, and what the value of the information being provided to the hedge funds is. Anyone on HN got any information on the matter they can share?
- kls 16y ago
  It happens a good deal, it is probably better if I just leave it at the industry has a reputation for managers asking and consultants deciding if they want to bite or not. There are some very reputable groups like Primary Insight that work very hard to keep a legitimate consulting network, while others actively seek out inside trader consultants. As to the value, the $400k they paid these guys is peanuts to what they make on this kind of info. If you have billions that you can move in the market and someone tells you "oh hey, Apple is building a tablet and it is going to drop this quarter, their internal market analysis looks like they will sell 3 million units in this quarter", you have basically just been given the keys to the mint. Because you are able to time you investment to the date range in which the tablet will drop. Meaning you don't need to tie that capital up speculating on when it will drop. The value is easily in the billions of dollars. I am surprised the "consultants" sold the secrets for so little actually.
kls 16y ago
You know, I do the kind of consulting "not the inside trading part" they are speaking about in this article. It pays very well, I was once contacted by the company in question about doing some work and the numbers they where kicking around where way out of the norm for this kind of work. 3 to 4 times the standard hourly rate that most technologist charge for industry analysis. Fortunately for me, I never knew the specifics of the gig and it did not materialize. I can only assume that they targeted me due to my clientele list. You really have to watch yourself in this line of consulting, it is really easy to run afoul of some pretty serious crimes.