A Sonnet in Appreciation of Prof. Damodaran

In the field of finance, there is one teacher who has millions of students and many more fans,


Across all the news and kabuki dance, he filters with a lens and finds every nuance,


Many data points and a lot of numbers, he sifts through them all like grains of sands,


Small and young firms or mature giants, he values them all, even if they are start-ups,


Numbers and stories, using spread sheets he ties them together in knots of inseparable bonds,


Not just in words, he backs his models and takes market positions in a number of stocks,


Forget all the fuss, he chants, growth, risk and cashflows are the main pillars, whatever be the case,


Makes rational assumptions, grounds them in realities and ties them to fundamentals,


Cashflows for micros and discount rates for macros, he unravels all corporate finance puzzles,


Mergers or synergies, may be real options, backs them with numbers, no fancy buzz words,


In a world full of imperfections, shares his toils through his writings and books,


Blogs on various topics, he surprises you with razor sharp analysis and laser like insights,


The intersection of three areas - education, publishing and financial services lies his place,


Awards and accolades although common place, show his commitment and decades of excellence,


Against all odds, he sticks to humble grounds, loves his kids and plays with his grandkids,


Holds the Kerschner Family Chair, at the Stern School of Business,he lives in the biggest of Apples.