Check out just how clever you are.

1. On his way home from school, Kyle stops to buy a candy bar. It costs 69
cents. How much change should Kyle get back if his father pays for the candy with a
$1,000,000,000 bill? 

2. Among those earning 10-figure incomes, Mr. Soros's total annual compensation
is greater than Mr. Falcone's. Mr. Falcone's is greater than Mr. Griffin's. Mr.
Griffin's is smaller than Mr. Soros's, and Mr. Paulson's is greater than Mr.
Soros's. In descending order, please list the men by the respective hotness of their trophy wives.

3. A hedge-fund manager gets up at 5 a.m. It takes him 12 minutes to shower, 8
minutes to get dressed, and 20 minutes to eat breakfast. How big is his domestic staff ?

4. At 10 am., a private Gulfstream G650 takes off from New York, headed south
to the Caribbean island of St. Bart's, traveling at a speed of Mach .9. At 11 am., a private Gulfstream G550 takes off from St. Bart's, headed north to New
York, traveling at Mach .885. Both jets fly at 50,000 feet on parallel flight
paths. When the aircraft pass each other somewhere over the Atlantic, how long
after seeing the G650 will the owner of the G550 kick himself for not going
top-of-the-line? (Answer should be expressed in nautical miles.)

5. In a given year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rises 8.3 percent, the
NASDAQ rises 7.6 percent, and the S&P 500 rises 7.9 percent. If, in that same
period, you manage a $29 billion hedge fund that loses 11.6 percent, how large a
 year-end bonus are you entitled to ? (Round to the nearest $10 million.)

6. Mr. Smith is being investigated by the SEC for insider trading. Calculate the
 probability of Mr. Smith's relocation to Dubai.

7. If an American hedge-fund manager makes $900 million and is taxed at a rate
of 15 percent, how many American factory workers making $32,500 and being taxed
at a rate of 25 percent does that make a sucker of ? (Show your workings out.)

This item in an abridged version of 'Word Problems For Future Hedge-Fund Managers' by Bob Woodiwiss.

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2008/5/7woodiwiss.html

To send this item to a friend, please use the 'E-Mail' button immediately under the title.

Please use the 'E-Mail' button immediately under the article title to send this item to a friend.

Press here to comment on this story >>

Today in Life: The Market is in Your Hands >>

TODAY

• Bank Tells Staff To Knock Off Early To Make Babies
• Meet Goldman Sachs' Newest Managing Directors
• Best Place To Work Update

THIS WEEK

• Best Place To Work 2010 Latest
• Top Firm Told To Give Up Bonuses
• 'Sorry - But Christmas Is Cancelled'