His father also thrived on risk, but Tom Elliott says his big payday last week was more than a lucky hunch.

Tom Elliott is very different from his famous father, 1980s entrepreneur John Elliott. The manager of hedge fund MM&E Capital, who is in his late 30s, says his dad has little, if no, influence on his business career and investment decisions, although he did kickstart him at age 15 with a handy summer job.