Susquehanna International Group: The Poker-Loving Trading Firm

Susquehanna International Group (SIG) was founded in the mid-1980s and is based in Philadelphia. Almost all of SIG's leadership consists of former professional poker players. The firm's unique approach to risk and trading is deeply influenced by their poker background.

Bill Chen, a former poker player and author of 'The Mathematics of Poker,' works at SIG in the quantitative research department. His role includes searching for and verifying new trading strategies and teaching new employees through weekly poker, statistics, and probability seminars.

SIG was founded by Jeff Yass, who played poker in college with friends who later became his business partners. Jeff Yass and his friends started betting on horse races using their mathematical and economic skills. In 1987, Jeff Yass and his college friends registered Susquehanna International Group to apply their poker and mathematical skills to the options market. SIG's main business is trading options and ETFs.