Jim
Rogers is a renowned international investor. In 1973, he co-founded
the Quantum Fund with George Soros. After a fantastically successful
decade, he retired to travel the world. He is the author of Investment
Biker: On The Road With Jim Rogers and A
Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the WorldÂ’s Greatest
Market, among other books. He also runs the Rogers Global
Resources Equity Index. Recently Rogers sat down with Steve Forbes
to talk about why the global economy is moving to Asia, where heÂ’s
putting his money and what the U.S. can do to right the ship. Video
and a transcript of their conversation follows.

Steve Forbes:
Jim Rogers, thank you for joining us.

Jim Rogers:
My pleasure.

Forbes:
LetÂ’s go through a little bit of history. You teamed up in
the early 1970s with George Soros. Had a great fund, got out in
the early 1980s. Quickly recapture what you did and how you did
it at such a young age.

Rogers:
Well, we had a successful ten years. I didnÂ’t want to wake
up at 75 and still be looking at a computer screen. IÂ’d always
wanted to have more than one life, so off I set to have more than
one life. And IÂ’ve had more than one life. I retired. I was
37. And set off to have more than one life.

Forbes:
Any motorcycle trips in the offing? Any more books on the exotic
places of the world?

Rogers:
No. I went around the world in a car, 1999 to 2001, and I really
havenÂ’t been on a motorcycle much since then. It grieves me
that you ask, because some of the finest times of my life were on
motorcycles, including the trip around the world on the motorcycle.
But now IÂ’m doing other things. IÂ’ve got two little girls.
IÂ’m living in Singapore, which is not a great motorcycle place.
Now IÂ’m doing other things.

Forbes:
I canÂ’t imagine you speeding there.

Rogers:
No, no. I mean, the speed limit is 90 kilometers an hour! ItÂ’s
not a great motorcycle place.

Forbes:
Not to be negotiated.

Rogers:
Right, and not negotiable. YouÂ’re right. Exactly.

Forbes:
Talking about Singapore, when you moved there you decided to
have three dates: 1807, youÂ’d move to London. 1907, youÂ’ve
got to go to New York. 2007, youÂ’re in Asia, specifically Singapore.
Why?

Rogers:
Well, the 20th century was the century of the U.S. The 19th
century was the century of the U.K. The 21st century will be the
century of Asia, and itÂ’s becoming more and more evident. And
especially of China. I wanted my children to grow up knowing Asia
and speaking Mandarin. I think the best skills that I can give two
girls born in 2003 and 2008 is to know Asia and to know Mandarin.
So there we are. I couldnÂ’t do it in New York. I tried. I tried
doing it in New York. But it was not possible. So there we are.

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the rest of the article

May
15, 2012

Jim
Rogers has taught finance at Columbia University’s business school
and is a media commentator worldwide. He is the author of Adventure
Capitalist, Investment
Biker, Hot
Commodities, A
Gift to My Children, and A
Bull in China. See his
website.

Copyright
© 2011 Forbes

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