For a decade, Mike's right thumbnail was faintly cracked from top to bottom. No matter what he did, he couldn't get rid of it. Then one day, he discovered his great-great-granddaddy's 'certificate' of freedom. Inscribed in the remarks section were the words: 'Nail of right thumb split'. That stunning find led to an insight. The old convict was still with us-well, not 100 per cent. But clearly, enough of his genes had been passed on to leave an annoying split in his right thumb, just like the old convict himself. Mike has spent the last thirty years at the cutting edge of finance. For almost half that period, he intensively analysed Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and was rated amongst the top three analysts in Australia. He famously crossed swords with Murdoch, who failed to appreciate a 'sell' recommendation. Before joining finance, he was a military intelligence analyst and officer at the Second Cavalry Regiment. He also spent eighteen months as a platoon commander in one of Australia's most decorated fighting units-Delta Company, the Sixth Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment. Mike's varied working career also includes time spent in property development and funds management. In his youth, he started up and developed a small but successful manufacturing and wholesale business. He has also been a journalist and media commentator and has been a regular guest on a number of business TV programs. Mike has three twenty-something children and lives in Sydney, Australia.