CommPRO Editorial Staff

Man of the Futures is the definitive memoir of Leo  Melamed. It recounts Melamed’s journey from Holocaust survivor and accidental runner at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), to one of the most prominent leaders in the  world of finance who mingled with US Presidents and world leaders.

As the founder of financial futures and initiator of the world’s first global electronic trading  system, Leo Melamed revolutionized the finance industry. 

At 33, Melamed gave up a promising law career to pursue his dream of becoming a full time pit-trader at the CME. He quickly ascended the ranks to become chairman. From  there, he set out to disrupt the status quo and ultimately transform both the exchange itself  and the broader finance industry.  

By daring to embrace innovative ideas that many considered absurd, Melamed was a  pioneer, continually fighting for modernization in the financial markets through  diversification and the introduction of new technologies. Covering the internal battles  waged within the CME, the launch of the International Monetary Market (IMM) and the rise  of Globex, this enthralling autobiography details the struggles, scandals and triumphs of a  visionary in his field. 

About the Author: Leo Melamed, a Holocaust survivor, found safety in the US during World War II. He is the founder of financial futures. In 1972, as chairman of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group), he revolutionized markets with the creation of the International Monetary Market — the first futures exchange for financial instruments — and the launch of currency futures. Twenty years after their inception, Nobel Laureate Merton Miller named financial futures “the most significant innovation of the past two decades.” In 1987, Melamed revolutionized futures trading again with the founding of Globex®, the world’s first futures electronic-trading system.