I made $70 million turn into $90 million by striking a deal with a hedge fund. I loved stirring things up and raised $600 million to become the largest shareholder in the New York Times. Unfortunately, the financial recession hit and I lost most of it. Then I started a consulting firm called L2. But I considered moving to a lower cost area to be a faculty member. The dean at NYU told me to establish myself as a credible academic.