Eric Sprott

Eric Sprott (born 1944 in Ottawa) is a Canadian investment manager. He graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1965. Sprott has accumulated 35 years of experience in the investment industry. After earning his designation as a chartered accountant, Sprott entered the investment industry as a research analyst at Merrill Lynch. In 1981, he founded Sprott Securities (now called Cormark Securities Inc.), which today is one of Canada's largest independently owned securities firms. After establishing Sprott Asset Management Inc. in December 2001 as a separate entity, Sprott divested his entire ownership of Sprott Securities to its employees.
Sprott's predictions on the state of the North American financial markets have been captured throughout the last several years in an investment strategy article that he authors titled "Markets At A Glance”.
On May 15, 2008, Sprott Inc. completed its initial public offering by way of a secondary offering of common shares priced at $10. Sprott Inc.’s common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol. Since completing the public offering the shares have not managed to exceed the initial offering price.
The public offering and Sprott's reputation were severely tarnished by the firm's association with Timminco Inc. Timminco, a one-time market darling and major holding championed by Sprott, was accused of making fradulent claims and subsequently declined over 99% from its peak as its highly touted solar-grade silicon business was shut down and proven worthless as predicted by its critics.
Recognitions
*In 2001, Sprott donated $10 million to Carleton University’s School of Business, which was renamed the Sprott School of Business in recognition of his endowment.
*In October 2006, Sprott was the recipient of the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Financial Services) and the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Ontario.
*In December 2007, Sprott was named Fund Manager of the Year by Investment Executive, a widely circulated publication for Canadian financial advisors. In October 2008, the Sprott Offshore Fund Ltd. won the award for the Best Long/Short Hedge Fund globally by HFM Week, a leading publication for the global hedge fund industry.

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