Richard J. Dennis, a commodities speculator once known as the "Prince of the Pit," was born in Chicago, in January, 1949. In the early 1970s, he borrowed $1,600 and reportedly made $350 million. When a futures trading fund under his management incurred significant losses in the stock market crash of 1987 he retired from trading for several years. He has been active in Democratic and Libertarian political causes, most notably in campaigns against drug prohibition.