As a first-time candidate, you learn a lot. On the campaign trail, I am meeting first-time candidates for all kinds of offices. Some are running for Congress. Some are running for county office. Some are running for the school board. One thing that occurred to me when I was chatting with one of them was this. I have been in situations some people would consider extremely risky. You’d put a bunch of money into the first round of a startup with no guarantee that anything would come of it. Or, y...

As a first-time candidate, you learn a lot. On the campaign trail, I am meeting first-time candidates for all kinds of offices. Some are running for Congress. Some are running for county office. Some are running for the school board. One thing that occurred to me when I was chatting with one of them was this. I have been in situations some people would consider extremely risky. You’d put a bunch of money into the first round of a startup with no guarantee that anything would come of it. Or, y...

One of the reasons I am running for Nevada State Treasurer is this. I have told this story to groups when I am out campaigning. The linked article does a great job explaining it in depth. Often, you only have a minute or two on the stump to do your spiel. The Illinois Treasurer destroyed my family’s 529 college savings. As Nevada State Treasurer, I will never let it happen to you. Nevadans deserve a person with financial experience in the office. A pro. Not a neophyte. Not a talker. Not a "wa...

One of the reasons I am running for Nevada State Treasurer is this. I have told this story to groups when I am out campaigning. The linked article does a great job explaining it in depth. Often, you only have a minute or two on the stump to do your spiel. The Illinois Treasurer destroyed my family’s 529 college savings. As Nevada State Treasurer, I will never let it happen to you. Nevadans deserve a person with financial experience in the office. A pro. Not a neophyte. Not a talker. Not a "wa...

It was a long bit of calculus to decide to run for office. I didn’t like what I was seeing in my new home state. The government was growing despite all the efforts of a Republican governor to stop it. Pension funding was slipping. We saw how that nightmare played out in Illinois. Republicans in the legislature were doing all they could, but in a gerrymandered minority, it was tough. The Lt Governor, who oversees the state senate, was locked out of the chamber while the Democrats tried to pass...

It was a long bit of calculus to decide to run for office. I didn’t like what I was seeing in my new home state. The government was growing despite all the efforts of a Republican governor to stop it. Pension funding was slipping. We saw how that nightmare played out in Illinois. Republicans in the legislature were doing all they could, but in a gerrymandered minority, it was tough. The Lt Governor, who oversees the state senate, was locked out of the chamber while the Democrats tried to pass...

Do you know what an accredited investor is? I have been one since age 27. You have to have a certain income level or own a certain dollar value of assets. The SEC has changed the definition over the years. It used to be an easier hurdle to get over. The current definition is this:Financial CriteriaNet worth over $1 million, excluding primary residence (individually or with spouse or partner)Income over $200,000 (individually) or $300,000 (with spouse or partner) in each of the prior two years...

Guns are so political, and they shouldn’t be. The Second Amendment exists for a reason. Today, it exists probably to protect the First one, but when it was first written, times were different. However, the principles behind it haven’t changed. Pat Buchanan used to joke that it’s fine to talk about regulating guns. But let’s limit it to the ones that you tow. One of the things I am going to do when I become Nevada State Treasurer is depoliticize the office. The current occupant has overtly pol...

Within a month, our family added two grandkids to the stable. One girl, Gwyneth Clair, whom we will call “Wyn,” and Walker Robert. My wife and I were able to fly to Chicago so I could see them. I was able to see the other two little boys, too. One of them had a birthday. He turned two. Wyn is six weeks now, and Walker is just over a week. Here they are meeting their “Gumpa” for the first time. Grandkids are a blast, but you don’t get them unless you have kids! My wife and I had all our kids b...

Yesterday, my friend and fellow Chicago Booth MBA Brian Kasal hosted a group at the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas. I had never been. I knew about it because Patrick Gallagher designed the speakeasy in the basement. Patrick had designed many exhibits at the National World War Two Museum, where I was a member of the Board of Trustees. Patrick does some great work, and the speakeasy lives up to its billing.We got a tour, and it was not what I expected. I expected a Hollywood blood and guts gl...

If you are a businessperson, you critically think about things and then go for it. There isn’t a lot of waiting around because time is money. When I traded, sometimes I found out in seconds. If I had to get a trade, I didn’t wait around. I went and got it. When I invested in companies, if there was one I liked, I didn’t wait for them to call me. I got on a plane or hopped in the car, and I went and saw them. The same was true when I jumped into this race. I didn’t care who else was running. I...

If you have never filed for office before, it is an interesting experience. In Nevada, you make an appointment online. We made it late in the day. I was calling and emailing people all day. We went to the courthouse and filed for my candidacy for Nevada State Treasurer. It was a digital experience. All the people running the operation were professional and nice. You walk into a courtroom and hand them $200. Cash only. No checks. I guess you could do a Cashier’s check, but who does that anymor...

Today is the day that candidates in Nevada can start filing for office. In Nevada, you make an appointment with the county clerk, or Secretary of State, and go file. In places like Illinois, you have to get signatures to get on the ballot, then pay. In Nevada, you only have to pay $200 and go through the process. No checks. No credit cards. Cash only. Which way is better? If you are worried about ballot access and want to take power away from centralized political machines, Nevada’s is far be...

Do you know what an accredited investor is? I have been one since age 27. You have to have a certain income level or own a certain dollar value of assets. The SEC has changed the definition over the years. It used to be an easier hurdle to get over. The current definition is this:Financial CriteriaNet worth over $1 million, excluding primary residence (individually or with spouse or partner)Income over $200,000 (individually) or $300,000 (with spouse or partner) in each of the prior two years...

Guns are so political, and they shouldn’t be. The Second Amendment exists for a reason. Today, it exists probably to protect the First one, but when it was first written, times were different. However, the principles behind it haven’t changed. Pat Buchanan used to joke that it’s fine to talk about regulating guns. But let’s limit it to the ones that you tow. One of the things I am going to do when I become Nevada State Treasurer is depoliticize the office. The current occupant has overtly pol...

Within a month, our family added two grandkids to the stable. One girl, Gwyneth Clair, whom we will call “Wyn,” and Walker Robert. My wife and I were able to fly to Chicago so I could see them. I was able to see the other two little boys, too. One of them had a birthday. He turned two. Wyn is six weeks now, and Walker is just over a week. Here they are meeting their “Gumpa” for the first time. Grandkids are a blast, but you don’t get them unless you have kids! My wife and I had all our kids b...

Yesterday, my friend and fellow Chicago Booth MBA Brian Kasal hosted a group at the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas. I had never been. I knew about it because Patrick Gallagher designed the speakeasy in the basement. Patrick had designed many exhibits at the National World War Two Museum, where I was a member of the Board of Trustees. Patrick does some great work, and the speakeasy lives up to its billing.We got a tour, and it was not what I expected. I expected a Hollywood blood and guts gl...

If you are a businessperson, you critically think about things and then go for it. There isn’t a lot of waiting around because time is money. When I traded, sometimes I found out in seconds. If I had to get a trade, I didn’t wait around. I went and got it. When I invested in companies, if there was one I liked, I didn’t wait for them to call me. I got on a plane or hopped in the car, and I went and saw them. The same was true when I jumped into this race. I didn’t care who else was running. I...

If you have never filed for office before, it is an interesting experience. In Nevada, you make an appointment online. We made it late in the day. I was calling and emailing people all day. We went to the courthouse and filed for my candidacy for Nevada State Treasurer. It was a digital experience. All the people running the operation were professional and nice. You walk into a courtroom and hand them $200. Cash only. No checks. I guess you could do a Cashier’s check, but who does that anymor...

Today is the day that candidates in Nevada can start filing for office. In Nevada, you make an appointment with the county clerk, or Secretary of State, and go file. In places like Illinois, you have to get signatures to get on the ballot, then pay. In Nevada, you only have to pay $200 and go through the process. No checks. No credit cards. Cash only. Which way is better? If you are worried about ballot access and want to take power away from centralized political machines, Nevada’s is far be...