Edward Oakley Thorp famous for his book "Beat the Dealer" in which he was the first to prove a mathematical system for beating blackjack by card counting.

He got his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1958.

Thorp was a UCI professor of mathematics from 1965 to 1977 and a professor of mathematics and finance from 1977 to 1982.

Later he tried to use his knowledge in the stock market. He is now president of "Edward O. Thorp & Associates" in Newport Beach and manages a hedge fund.

Thorp is married with Vivian.

Edward Thorp, Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One, ISBN 0394703103