Mr. Peterffy was born in 1944 in Budapest, Hungary. He studied engineering and immigrated to the United States at age 21, where he attended the New York University School of Engineering. Mr. Peterffy became a computer programmer, director of research, and vice president at Mocatta Metals Inc. in New York City. In 1977 he became an independent floor trader at the American Stock Exchange, later forming the first entirely automated trading firm, known today as Interactive Brokers Group LLC. Mr. Peterffy is currently its chairman. Together with its various subsidiaries, the company is a large electronic prime broker and retail broker by number of published, revenue-producing trades on more than 150 exchanges and 27 countries across the globe, with a market value of $50 billion.