B lair Hull is an American investor, entrepreneur, and a pioneer of quantitative and algorithmic trading. With a background in mathematics, Hull began his career as a professional blackjack player, using statistical analysis to gain an edge over the house as part of a card-counting team. He applied these same quantitative principles to the financial markets, moving to Chicago to become a trader on the Cboe.

In 1985, he founded Hull Trading Company, one of the world's premier automated trading firms. The firm was a pioneer in using sophisticated computer algorithms and financial models to trade options and futures, becoming one of the largest market-making firms in the world. In 1999, at the height of the dot-com boom, he sold his company to Goldman Sachs for $531 million. Since then, he has run his family office, Hull Investments, and has been involved in politics, having run for the U.S. Senate. He remains an influential figure in the world of quantitative finance.