The Revolution That Wasn't

- Blurb -

From Wall Street Journal columnist Spencer Jakab, a contrarian story of the GameStop squeeze that uncovers the surprising winners of a rigged game. January 2021- in one week, a motley crew of retail traders on Reddit' s r/wallstreetbets forum seemingly accomplish the impossible - they bring down some of the biggest, richest players on Wall Street. Their weapon is GameStop, a failing retailer whose shares briefly become the most-traded security on the planet and the subject of intense media coverage. The Revolution That Wasn' t is the riveting story of how the meme stock squeeze unfolded, and of the real architects (and winners) of the GameStop rally. Drawing on his years as a stock analyst at a major bank, Jakab exposes technological and financial innovations such as Robinhood' s habit-forming smartphone app as ploys to get our dollars within the larger story of evolving social and economic pressures. The surprising truth? What appeared to be a watershed moment - a revolution that stripped the ultra-powerful hedge funds of their market influence and placed power back in the hands of everyday investors, only tilted the odds further in the house' s favour. In this nuanced analysis, Jakab shines a light on the often-misunderstood profit motives and financial mechanisms to show how this so-called revolution is, on balance, a bonanza for Wall Street. But, Jakab argues that there really is a way for ordinary investors to beat the pros- by refusing to play their game.