William J. O'Neil, "Bill," a highly accomplished figure in the world of stock speculation, entrepreneurship, authorship, and philanthropy has passed away at the age of 90.
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William J. O'Neil (Photo: Business Wire)
Bill exemplified the American spirit and firmly believed that through hard work, anyone could attain prosperity. His approach to success was characterized by his willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, carefully analyze the data, and follow it wherever it led him, on his own terms. With humble beginnings, he became the youngest person to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange at 30 years old. He wrote several best-selling books sharing the investment methodologies he built his businesses upon and devoted much of his life to extending a path toward financial freedom for all. He was a vocal proponent of a free enterprise system and its contributions to his own achievement of the American Dream. He was a trailblazer in many rights and his legacy continues onward today through his companies and nonprofit efforts.
Mr. O'Neil was raised in a multi-family home in Muskogee, Oklahoma and attended grade school on a Native American reservation during the Great Depression. From the age of 6 he worked odd jobs to contribute to his family’s income and developed a work ethic that became a foundational value throughout his life. When he was 14, he and his mother moved to Dallas, Texas, where he later earned a degree in Business from Southern Methodist University. Upon completing his service in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. O'Neil embarked on his career in 1958 as a stockbroker at Hayden Stone & Company in Los Angeles. He rapidly advanced in his profession and became increasingly fascinated with analyzing stock market data for stock picking.
An early investment in Syntex Corp, developer of the birth control pill, turned an initial capital investment of $5,000 into over $200,000 in just one year. And in 1963, he founded his first company, William O'Neil + Company. Today the investment adviser and broker/dealer, William O’Neil Securities, continue to provide invaluable buy and sell recommendations, as well as research tailored to the needs of over 400 institutional clients worldwide. At 32, he launched a mutual fund which achieved a 115% return in 1967.
In the 1970’s, he invested an unprecedented $2 million in R&D to better model investor behavior. This led to the creation of a database detailing stock movements dating back to the 1880s, which is still maintained today. His ability to apply research to analyze markets made his insights highly valuable to leading portfolio managers in the early years of his career.
He released an empirical study on the greatest stock market winners in history, which became the basis for his O’Neil Methodology. This approach, also known as CAN SLIM™, is an investment discipline that incorporates historical precedent, fundamental analysis, and technical stock analysis. Today, his methodology is continually optimized with modern-day factor research and data science. Following this success, Mr. O'Neil founded Daily Graphs, Inc., which provided a weekly book of stock charts that blended fundamental and technical analysis. This comprehensive book evolved into the online research platform MarketSmith.
In 1973, Mr. O'Neil founded O'Neil Data Systems, Inc. with the goal of delivering time-sensitive data ahead of the competition. The company later renamed O'Neil Digital Solutions, operated a high-speed printing facility that leveraged innovative technology to pioneer the field of automated composition and database publishing. Today, ODS is an international showcase for HP inkjet presses and has become a world class Customer Experience Management company providing omni-channel communications to the Healthcare and Financial Industries.
In 1984, Mr. O'Neil launched Investor's Business Daily. This national newspaper represented the first successful competition to The Wall Street Journal. Leveraging his years of experience in economic and business research, along with his expansive historical database, Mr. O'Neil filled a daily information gap that existed for individual investors. After its evolution to digital media, News Corp acquired IBD in 2021.
In 2013 he launched William O’Neil India as a data collection, information technology, and research center. O’Neil Capital Management India was established as a Registered Investment Advisor, along with MarketSmith India.
This global expansion continued with William O’Neil China established as an R&D center with focus on the Chinese Equity Markets and William O’Neil Investment Management Shanghai registered as a Private Fund Manager.
His vision for an advisory firm manifested in O’Neil Global Advisors, launched in 2019. As an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, the firm leverages a team of portfolio managers, data scientists, and factor research professionals to support the development, management, and monitoring of various fundamental and algorithmic strategies. It’s Portfolio Managers rely on the O’Neil Methodology to guide them in managing their discretionary accounts.
Mr. O'Neil also authored several best-selling books on investing in the stock market. One of his most notable works, "How To Make Money In Stocks: A Winning System In Good Times Or Bad," has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
In retirement, Mr. O’Neil focused on philanthropic efforts aimed at empowering individuals to achieve fulfillment in life and removing barriers that stood in their way. He lived a simple life from the beginning to his end, finding peace in a neighborhood walk and comfort in a bowl of chicken noodle soup. The executive team he mentored over many decades continues to successfully pursue his vision across the globe.
Mr. O'Neil improved the lives of countless families, helping them prosper and achieve the American dream, something he will continue to do in perpetuity. His methodology and ingenuity allowed institutional investors to thrive in an often-volatile market climate. He taught people how to create and maintain profitable portfolios so they too could succeed. In short, his legacy is one of an innovator, educator, and entrepreneur—a proud citizen seizing the reins of opportunity in a country committed to the free market and sharing his success with others.
The family will hold a private memorial service with immediate family only.
In lieu of flowers, Mr. O’Neil has requested donations go to Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform lives and communities through entrepreneurship.
To learn more about “Bill” visit: wjolegacy.williamoneil.com
Comments, reflections, and tributes can be sent to: [email protected]
About Us
William O'Neil + Company is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor providing domestic and international equity research, recommendations, and consulting to many of the world's top institutional money managers. William O'Neil + Company's recommendations cover more than 70,000 global equities, funds, and indices and draw on a rich history of 60 years of equity research experience using the O'Neil Methodology. The “OM” is based off empirical studies of the stock market’s greatest winners and is driven by the analysis of the fundamental data of public companies, the trading patterns of those companies and proprietary quantitative ratings and rankings. The firm has global equity coverage and research teams in the US, Europe, and Asia. The equity global research and global data can be accessed on PANARAY™ the firm’s proprietary research delivery platform. More information can be found at: https://www.williamoneil.com/.
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