Jacob Little

Jacob Little was the first Great Bear of Wall Street. Bears on Wall Street had operated more in the United States than in Europe. Although there was a ban on short sales by the New York Legislature in 1812, the bear operator was a familiar figure in the nineteenth century. One who gained celebrity status was Jacob Little. He was a leading bear operator in the first half of the 19th century. His nick names included the "Great Bear," the "Old Bear," and the "Napoleon of Wall Street". Little is also known for the Inventor of the Short Sale in the United States and the Inventor the convertible bond.

The Civil War wiped out his fortune and he died penniless.

References:

Jacob Little, The Great Bear of Wall Street Source: BIBLIOGRAPHY: Sunshine and Shadow In New York by Matthew Hale Smith; Hartford: J.B. Burr and Company-1869 http://books.google.com/books?id=wgh_deeIEUMC&pg=PA459&dq=%22jacob+little%22+wall+street+bear&ei=blXiSLvFIpW0yQSyz5zkBA

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