The Billion-Dollar Lineage: How Three Generations of One Family Mastered Wall Street

The Davis family's simple investment philosophy boils down to a classic piece of advice:

Invest for the long haul. Don't get too greedy and don't get too scared.
— Shelby M.C. Davis

Shelby M.C. Davis, the man behind those words, is unusual because he is the second of three generations to achieve legendary success in the investment world.

The dynasty began with Shelby Cullom Davis Sr. He quit his government job in 1947 to become a stockbroker, starting with a $50,000 stake borrowed from his wife’s family. By the time of his death in 1994, that initial stake had ballooned into a colossal $900 million.

The next in line, Shelby M. C. Davis (quoted above), did not inherit his father's fortune outright but nonetheless also learned to master Wall Street. He and his partners founded the mutual fund company that eventually became Davis Advisors and today has about $21 billion under management.

Today, the tradition continues with the youngest of the trio, Chris Davis, who serves as Chairman and manages the firm’s investment strategy.

For the whole story of this remarkable finance family, read John Rothchild’s definitive account, The Davis Dynasty: Fifty Years of Successful Investing on Wall Street. Rothchild is also the acclaimed co-author of Peter Lynch’s blockbusters, One Up on Wall Street, Beating the Street, and Learn to Earn.

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