Pete Muller (businessman and singer-songwriter)
{{Short description|American businessman and singer-songwriter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Pete Muller
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1963
| birth_place =
| nationality = American
| alma_mater = Princeton University
| occupation = Hedge fund manager, singer-songwriter
| known_for = Founder of PDT Partners
| spouse = Jillian Muller
| children =
| networth =
}}
Pete Muller is an American investor, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-13/this-hedge-fund-superstar-has-a-singer-songwriter-side-gig|title=This Hedge Fund Superstar Has a Singer-Songwriter Side Gig|date=September 13, 2019|work=Bloomberg|access-date=September 16, 2019}} He is a hedge fund manager and quantitative trader who founded PDT Partners in 1993 as part of Morgan Stanley's trading division, which spun out as an independent business in 2012. He was described by Bloomberg.com as an "unlikely executive", a math wizard, and a person with diverse intellectual interests and hobbies.
As a singer-songwriter, Muller recorded and released six studio albums.{{Cite web |title=Official Page of Pete Muller Singer Songwriter |url=https://www.petemuller.com/listen |access-date=July 23, 2024}} His original song, "San Diego (When You Coming Home)", achieved No. 27 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart in March 2020.{{Cite web|url=http://charts.bdsradio.com/bdsradiocharts/charts.aspx?formatid=3 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200322160759/http://charts.bdsradio.com/bdsradiocharts/charts.aspx?formatid=3 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 22, 2020 |title=BDSRadio |access-date=March 22, 2020}} In September of that same year, his single "God and Democracy" also reached the Billboard Adult Contemporary Top 30.{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/2020-09-26 |title=Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart: Week Ending September 26, 2020 |author= |date=26 September 2020 |website=billboard.com |publisher= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204225842/https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/2020-09-26 |access-date=7 December 2020 |archive-date=December 4, 2020 |quote=}}
Early life and education
Muller was raised in Wayne, New Jersey, with his sister. His parents were both immigrants to the United States; his Austrian-born father was an engineer and his mother, a native of Brazil, was a practicing psychiatrist.
Muller graduated in mathematics with honors from Princeton University in 1985, where he also played Ultimate Frisbee and was a member of the Colonial Club.{{cite news|last1=Wachtel|first1=Katya|title=We've Never Been More in Awe of Someone's Life Than We Are of Quant Legend Pete Muller's|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/peter-muller-fabulous-life-poker-morgan-stanley-2011-7?op=1|access-date=July 21, 2017|work=Business Insider|date=July 7, 2011}}{{Cite web |title=Tiger Trails Alumni Newsletter |url=https://www.princeton.edu/~oa/alumni/ttrails/ttrails11-03.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240217172153/https://www.princeton.edu/~oa/alumni/ttrails/ttrails11-03.shtml |archive-date=2024-02-17 |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=www.princeton.edu}}
Business career
Muller began his career working at Barra Inc. in 1985, a financial analytics firm in Berkeley, California. He joined Morgan Stanley in 1992.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-07-07/morgan-stanley-s-yoga-troubadour-crossword-math-pro-flees-with-20-returns|title = Morgan Stanley Yoga-Troubadour-Crossword-Math Pro Muller Flees|last = Teitelbaum|first = Richard|date = July 6, 2011|access-date = July 20, 2017|publisher = Bloomberg L.P.}}{{Cite web |title=Peter Muller {{!}} MƒA |url=https://www.mathforamerica.org/about/our-team/board-directors/peter-muller |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=www.mathforamerica.org |language=en}}
Muller founded PDT (Process Driven Trading) Partners inside Morgan Stanley in 1993 and is the CEO. PDT has offices in New York City and London and has returned 20% on average annually through 2010.{{cite web|title=PDT Partners History|url=https://www.pdtpartners.com/history.html|website=PDT Partners|publisher=PDT Partners|access-date=July 21, 2017}} PDT was spun out of Morgan Stanley in 2013 and as of 2019, had over $6 billion in assets under management. In 2019, Forbes reported that Muller earned around $150 million in the previous year, making its list of the highest-earning hedge fund managers for 2018.{{cite web|title=Peter Muller| website=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/peter-muller/?sh=699535b57acd}}
Musical career
He is a singer, songwriter and pianist. Muller tours regularly and has made appearances at music events such as Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the Jazz Open in Stuttgart, Germany, and the Telluride Jazz Festival.{{cite news|last1=Levy|first1=Rachael|title=The founder of a $5 billion hedge fund just kicked off a summer music tour|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/pdt-partners-pete-muller-performs-momath-benefit-concert-2017-7|access-date=October 23, 2017|work=Business Insider|date=July 10, 2017}} In the early stages of his music career, Muller played the electronic keyboard in New York City Subway.{{cite news|last1=Levy|first1=Rachael|title=How a hedge fund legend took time out, busked on the New York subway, and found himself in the process|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/pdts-peter-muller-says-music-brings-balance-to-his-quant-hedge-fund-2016-10|access-date=July 21, 2017|work=Business Insider|date=October 27, 2016}}
Muller has recently opened for artists such as Lisa Loeb,{{Cite web |last=Cristi |first=A. A. |title=Lisa Loeb With Pete Muller And The Kindred Souls Play City Winery Boston, July 19 |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/boston/article/Lisa-Loeb-With-Pete-Muller-And-The-Kindred-Souls-Play-City-Winery-Boston-July-19-20230620 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}} Livingston Taylor,{{Cite web |last=Sharpe |first=Josh |title=New Album From Pete Muller 'More Time' Available Now |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/New-Album-From-Pete-Muller-More-Time-Available-Now-20240517 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}} and Howie Day.{{Cite web |title=Instagram: Pete Muller Music |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C9X8-rnptTQ/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.instagram.com}} He performed at the 2024 Folk Alliance conference{{Cite web |date=2023-09-12 |title=Folk Alliance International Announces Initial Official Showcase Lineup |url=https://www.americanbluesscene.com/2023/09/folk-alliance-international-announces-initial-official-showcase-lineup/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=American Blues Scene |language=en-US}} and will appear at the 2024 Philadelphia Folk Festival.{{Cite web |title=PFF Performers – Philadelphia Folk Festival |url=https://folkfest.org/performers-gallery/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |language=en-US}}
In 2019, Muller released his fourth studio album, Dissolve, produced by Rob Mathes. It was featured in American Songwriter and People magazine.{{Cite web|title=Singer Pete Muller Pays Tribute to His Late Mother with Touching New Song 'Alive in Me'|work=People |url= https://people.com/music/pete-muller-alive-in-me-video-premiere-mothers-day/ |access-date=April 10, 2020}} "San Diego (When You Coming Home)", from that album, reached No. 27 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. His single "God and Democracy" was a Top 30 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart in the summer of 2020.
In 2022, Muller released his fifth solo album, Spaces, via Two Truths Records.{{Cite web |last=dean |date=2022-03-31 |title=Premiere: Pete Muller Shares Video for "Gone" from Forthcoming Album 'Spaces' |url=https://relix.com/blogs/detail/premiere-pete-muller-shares-video-for-gone-from-forthcoming-album-spaces/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Relix Media |language=en-US}} The album was produced by collaborator Rob Mathes, who also worked on Dissolve.{{Cite web |last=Benitez-Eves |first=Tina |date=2022-07-14 |title=Pete Muller Makes Room for Music Again on ‘Spaces’ |url=https://americansongwriter.com/pete-muller-makes-room-for-music-again-on-spaces/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=American Songwriter |language=en-US}}
In 2024, Muller released his sixth solo album, More Time. Recorded in Memphis with producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price), the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YdSDWCM40o title track's video] was directed by Gus Black who previously helmed clips from Phoebe Bridgers and Sheryl Crow.{{Cite web |title=Pete Muller’s ‘More Time’ For The First Time |url=https://thejerseysound.com/news/pete-mullers-more-time-for-the-first-time |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=The Jersey Sound |language=en-US}} {{Cite web |last=Shanfeld |first=Chloe |date=2024-05-13 |title=Giving Back with Gift of Music |url=https://www.independent.com/2024/05/13/giving-back-with-gift-of-music/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=The Santa Barbara Independent |language=en-US}} The band assembled for the album's recording sessions includes bassist Dave Smith (Al Green, Wilson Pickett), Texas guitarist Will Sexton (Joe Ely, Roky Erickson), Memphis organist Rick Steff (Lucero, Cat Power), longtime Wilco drummer Ken Coomer.{{Cite web |last=Major |first=Michael |title=Pete Muller Releases Title Track 'More Time' From New Album |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Pete-Muller-Releases-Title-Track-More-Time-From-New-Album-20240222 |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}
Philanthropy
Muller is a founding board member of Live Music Society {{Cite web |title=Team 1 |url=https://www.livemusicsociety.org/board-members |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Live Music Society |language=en-US}} and Math for America,{{cite web|url = http://www.mathforamerica.org/web/guest/about-us/board/peter-muller|title = Peter Muller|publisher = Math for America|access-date = August 1, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131229205144/http://www.mathforamerica.org/web/guest/about-us/board/peter-muller|archive-date = December 29, 2013|url-status = dead}} and a Berklee College of Music trustee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.berklee.edu/trustees |title=Berklee College of Music: Trustees |access-date=October 23, 2017}} In September 2017, with the support of the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and the Economic Development Corporation, Muller with Berklee acquired Avatar Studios, which was later rebranded as Power Station at BerkleeNYC.{{cite news |last=Light |first=Alan |date=September 5, 2017 |title=Power Station, Storied Manhattan Recording Studio, to Be Revived |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/arts/music/power-station-avatar-studios-berklee.html |access-date=October 23, 2017}}
Personal life
Muller and his wife Jillian have two children.{{cite web|title=Peter Muller|url=https://www.berklee.edu/people/peter-muller|website=Berklee|publisher=Berklee|access-date=July 21, 2017}}
He writes crossword puzzles for the New York Times periodically. He also co-writes the daily mini-meta puzzles feature in The Washington Post .{{Cite web |title=Washington Post Monthly Meta Puzzle |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/crossword-puzzles/monthly-music-meta/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 10, 2020}} In 1998, Muller made the final table of the $3,000 Limit Hold 'em event at the World Series of Poker and came in 4th at the World Poker Challenge.{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldpokertour.com/event/world-poker-challenge-season-2003-2004/#eventTab1 |title=World Poker Tour: Tournament Info |access-date=October 23, 2017}} He also practices vinyasa yoga, snowboards, and surfs.