Rex Sinquefield, often referred to as one of the world’s leading financial gurus, now spends his most of his time and resources dedicated to philanthropic causes.

Raised in Saint Vincent Orphanage, Sinquefield earned a business degree from Saint Louis University and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago, studying under Eugene Fama, the father of efficient markets. He went on to develop some of the nation’s first index funds, which trust, rather than “outsmart” the market. Along with associate David Booth, Sinquefield formed Dimensional Fund Advisors in 1981, which today oversees $100 billion in global assets.

After retiring in 2005, Sinquefield returned to his much loved and dearly missed State of Missouri, with the hopes of using his experience and success to invest in more philanthropic ventures. He co-founded and serves as president of the not-for-profit organization the Show-Me Institute (SMI), the state’s only free-market think tank. SMI engages in scholarly research and promotes sensible market solutions for state and local policies, such as eminent domain, education, corporate welfare and healthcare. and promotes sensible market solutions for state and local policies.

Personally, Sinquefield dedicates much of his time working on improving educational opportunities for every Missouri child, no matter of social and economic background. His commitment to education recently was brought together with another longtime passion, the game of chess. In 2007, the Sinquefield’s founded the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, a venue where newcomers can learn the game and gurus can compete in local and national tournaments. Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of the game for students, one of the key missions of the Center is to promote and grow scholastic chess programs in area schools, especially the Saint Louis Public School System.

Sinquefield is a life trustee of DePaul University and serves on the following boards:
Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri History Museum
Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Saint Louis Art Museum
Saint Louis Symphony
Contemporary Art Museum Saint Louis
Saint Louis University.
He also is a member of the Investment Committee of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis and the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship and service, including an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.