For example, Edward O. Thorp, whose work on option pricing was discussed in chapter 5, was involved in the 1980s in index arbitrage via the firm he co-founded, Princeton Newport Partners. He recalls great difficulty in getting his firm's trader even to attempt arbitrage on October 20. He was able to persuade him only by threatening to do it on his own account and telling him "I'm going to hang you out to dry" because the firm would then get no share of the profit. The trader was able to make only around 60 percent of the short sales Thorp had instructed, but Thorp had anticipated this by telling him to attempt twice the theoretical quantity (Thorp interview).

Donald MacKenzie, An Engine, Not a Camera, loc. 829