Navinder Singh Sarao: How This Indian Trader Wiped Off $1 Trillion From US Market

The name Navinder Singh Sarao resonates with both intrigue and controversy in the world of finance. Born in the UK, Sarao was catapulted into the global spotlight in 2015 when he was arrested for his alleged role in the 2010 ‘Flash Crash’, an event that sent shockwaves through the financial markets. According to the BBC, the ‘Flash Crash’ – in which the markets briefly plummeted in value – lasted less than an hour. But in that brief time, shares worth $1 trillion were wiped off.

The self-taught stock market trader caused the panic in US markets from a bedroom in his parents’ home in Hounslow, West London, which earned him the sobriquet “Hound Of Hounslow” – a reference to the famous “Wolf of Wall Street” fraudster.

Sarao’s journey into the world of trading began modestly. Operating from the bedroom in his parents’ home, he honed his skills as a trader, specialising in futures markets. His unique approach to trading caught the attention of seasoned investors and garnered him a reputation as a skilled and enigmatic trader.

The BBC said that Sarao is highly intelligent, but has Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder that’s part of the autism spectrum disorder.