Masters in Business · Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Mike Kelly shared his early fascination with investing, stemming from a childhood desire to buy Apple stock. Despite his parents' initial inability to facilitate the purchase, he learned to invest independently, eventually leading him to cold-call hedge fund legend Lee Cooperman from a payphone while at Stanford Business School, offering to work for free. This bold move led to his first hedge fund internship at Omega Advisors.
“And for my thirteenth birthday, I asked my parents for you got up to three hundred dollars. I got three hundred dollars of Apple stock. Was my request, really, and the big day came they gave me the envelope. Was really excited. I opened it up and it was a saving spot for a local bank. And my parents noted the disappointment in my face and said, you know, Michael was sorry, we don't know how to buy stock.”
“So I said, then in there, I am going to teach myself how to do this, how to invest in these companies, and I set out. I still have it. I have the notebook over here. I actually brought it with me about stocks and all the things that I would read about investing and investing in the stock market.”
“And so I went through this directory and literally called from a payphone.”
“He picks up and goes Lee, and that's how he starts a conversation. I'm mister Cooperman. You know, I'm a kid from the Burrows like you. I just want to break into the industry. You know, I've worked at Solomon, but I've never been an investor before. I am willing to do whatever it takes. I am willing to sleep on my parents' couch and work for you for free.”