Right now, there’s a 1-in-3 chance you’re reading this update on a tablet computer, like an iPad.
Over the last few years, these devices have become the platform of choice for casual internet users. And it’s plain to see why.
The iPad fits in that “Goldilocks” zone that’s just right for modern internet browsing. It’s larger than an iPhone, so you don’t have to squint to read text … and it’s not as large or unwieldy as a traditional laptop or desktop computer. You can easily carry a tablet around or kick back on the couch with it.
When it was first released in 2010, the iPad was hailed as a breakthrough in modern technology.
It was the kind of device that only could’ve been invented by tech wizard and Apple founder, Steve Jobs.
Except that kind of device had already been invented. And Jobs was nearly 30 years late to the party!
Of course, you’ve probably never heard of the iPad’s “ancient” predecessor. It was never offered to the mainstream public and instead only developed for Wall Street floor traders.
The inventor still keeps a prototype of the device under his desk, and he briefly reveals it in the video snapshot below:
This Wall Street Tech Titan Invented the “iPad’s Granddad” in 1983
The technology was prehistoric by comparison.
No full-color screen, no internet connectivity (this was 1983, there was no internet, period!).
But for the inventor’s team, this cutting-edge device provided all the same convenience and usability they’d get from a modern tablet computer. When they arrived on the floor of the American Stock Exchange, tablet in hand, their competitors were stunned.
The inventor was Thomas Peterffy — a self-made billionaire and founder of one of our favorite longstanding holdings in Green Zone Fortunes … Interactive Brokers Group Inc. (NASDAQ: IBKR).
One Man’s Vision Triggers a High-Tech Arms Race
Born in 1944 in Hungary, Thomas Peterffy emigrated to America without knowing a word of English.
But he picked up the language quickly, along with a job as an architectural draftsman in his new home in New York City. Then, one fateful day in 1966, he was tasked with programming the office’s new computer.
Peterffy was instantly hooked.
Computers back then bore little resemblance to modern personal computers or the trading tablet he’d later invent. They looked more like elaborate adding machines. But Peterffy could still see their potential.
When it came to financial modeling, such as pricing stocks and options, he realized computers had a massive advantage over the average Wall Street trader.
By 1977, Peterffy had saved up to buy his own seat on the exchange and immediately got to work. Later that year, he founded the company that would become IBKR — originally working as a market maker for the ASE. A few years later, in 1983, his traders would hit the floors with their customized tablets.
Then, in 1987, Peterffy made yet another breakthrough, implementing the world’s first algorithmic trading software on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Wall Street was never the same.
As of today, approximately 60% to 70% of all stock market trades are executed using algorithmic systems like the ones Petterfy invented.
An All-Star Holding for Green Zone Fortunes
I originally added Interactive Brokers stock to the Green Zone Fortunes portfolio in July of 2021, just two weeks before Robinhood (Nasdaq: HOOD) had its initial public offering.
As I explained at the time “the real industry leader isn’t Robinhood,” and recommended adding shares of IBKR instead. Since then, HOOD’s shares have dropped by 45%, and IBKR has delivered an 80% return.
At the time of my recommendation, IBKR had stellar Green Zone Power Ratings of 96 out of 100.
Fast forward to today, and it’s holding steady in “Strong Bullish” territory with an 85 out of 100:
(Click here to view IBKR’s stock rating page.)
As you can see, IBKR is an outstanding stock.
But it’s also well above my recommended “buy-up-to” price, so it’s currently a HOLD for Green Zone Fortunes subscribers.
It’s also worth noting that Peterffy stepped down from his role as CEO back in 2019. So IBKR’s current success is more a result of the legacy he left and the culture he created — rather than his direct involvement.
Nevertheless, the company’s success is a perfect example of how one “Tech Titan” and his vision for the future can help earn a fortune for early investors.
And right now, we’ve got an opportunity to make the same kind of early investment alongside the biggest Tech Titan of the 21st Century…
His new AI project is poised to soar, starting as soon as May 5.
Get all the details on his latest breakout in my new video presentation HERE.
To good profits,
Adam O’Dell
Chief Investment Strategist, Money & Markets
