jim simon a code breaker during the cold war, a brilliant mathematician.nd some of the most star crossed stories as well within this. it's a great study in human nature, a great tale. how did you decide you had to know jim simon and what he had done. >> if you are a writer about finance like i am and i focus on investors. there is no one more impressive. people talk about warren buffet. but this guy beat them. plus he does it in a different way with mathematics and science. he's the pie neefer near not just for investing but everything going on in silicon valley. the paradox behind this, they weren't business guys, they didn't go to wall street but they conquered the market. lou: they are creating immense wealth. is there success getting greater or moderated. >> if anything it add to it. they are up 66 trend since 1988. lou: how much since. >> a year on average 66%. it's almost hard to believe. way find fascinating is he hires all kinds of people. he has liberals within right wing, centrists, people who don't believe in capitalism. they all work together.

even last year, jim simons is worth $23 million. he's all quants.on vacation last year on vacation with his wife sees the market going down he calls his money manager he's 81 years old. even he feels the kind of instincts. >> i wonder if that helps or hurts. >> they are trying to override the system they are scientists and mathematicians they don't feel emotion like you and i do >> i don't feel emotion i'm number >> renaissance technology. you do not worry about instinct and intuition. if you defer to models and scientific method. >> thank you for coming in the book is called, "the man who solved the market. >>> and coming up, uber shares are sliding. saying that the company is targeting 2021 for profitability. next, 40 minutes until our exclusive interview with david ca calhoun you are watching "squawk box" on cnbc >> announcer: don't forget to subscribe to our podcast look for us on apple podcast or your favorite podcast app and sub describe today through the at&t network, edge-to-edge intelligence gives you the power to see every corner of your g

. >> reporter: that's jim simon to didn't expect to be living in the hotel lamars with his wife and kids the grim reaper, elizabeth as robin hood. you want to stay here and never go home? >> kind of. >> trick-or-treat! >> reporter: a little while later they joined an encyclopedia britain ca of figures. >> i feel like it brings the town together. >> reporter: and the town needed it. as for elizabeth, she remained pragmatic to the end. >> we get more candy now. >> reporter: is that what matters? >> yeah. >> reporter: and then you get to bring it back to a hotel room. >> yeah. >> reporter: and then she gets to bring it home. leave it to a 10-year-old to talk about what's really important. actually, i should tell you, she's not 10 yet, she'll be 10 tomorrow. it comes one day after halloween. life in healdsburg. >> you can help the people impacted by the fire. we have a list of ways, from giving blood to volunteering time or donating money. you will find all those ways you can help out. go to abc 7 news.com and find the info there. >>> new at 6:00, water cut off at city hall. workers digging

we should mention that greg has a new book on shelves called the man who solved the market how jim simons launched a quantity revolution. check that book out. >> macy's shares in the red but way off their session lows after falling on a revenue miss. also slashing full year sales and profit outlook and tonight, we have two other disasters in retail set up to report. that's gap and in order strorm let's talk about surviving in retail with randy. retail analyst at jeffrey's. you cover so many of these names. how much of this has been this news onslaugt about retail and is it dead >> it's not dead, but what we have here are winners and losers you can see with macy's, they had a tough quarter but blamed tourism, weather we really know it's one word target target comes for apparel at 10% this quarter comps at macy's town 4%. koelz kolz, only up slightly it's actually competition relate consumer ones value. they want brands and they're going to places like tjx. target they're going to other places other than macy's. >> how can there be such a discrepancy in terms of performance with certain tie

because one simon young is in the east and jim one ton of c colleen joins me now from there welcome simon tell us what's happening there today . yeah. very shortly chancellor merkel is expected to arrive here in speak out which as you mentioned is the small town just off an hour or so south of leyte seek in eastern germany where the 3 active members of the n.a.c. the national socialist on the ground were able to leave and operate for several years undetected as they planned and carried out several killings and chancellor merkel is coming here really just to show solidarity at this memorial as you mentioned 10 trees one for each of the victims was it you know great just yesterday it's in the park that you can branch see behind me and you know people here are awaiting to you would get a glimpse of the chance that this time it seems the memorial that was vandalized a while ago what happened then. yes there was there was a memorial here previously it was a tree planted more memorialize and machine shake it was the 1st victim of the n.s.u. a flower seller murdered in the year 2000 and he. was

jim? >> unbelievable. >> unbelievable. dan simon, thanks so much. . >>> all right. it is the top of the hour. y harlow. >> and i'm jim sciutto. it's a major week for the country ahead. eight witnesses set to publicly testify in the ongoing impeachment investigation. the political stakes here for both parties, frankly, are high. even higher for u.s. ambassador to the eu, gordon sondland. he will testify on wednesday after other witnesses have described his direct talks with president trump about efforts to pressure ukraine to investigate joe biden. >> and as more witnesses prepare to take the oath and face lawmakers, another witness is facing attacks from the president. this time, an aide to the vice president, mike pence. career foreign service officer jennifer williams said she found the july 25th call between president trump and president zelensky, quote, unusual and inappropriate. now the president is labeling her a never-trumper. pence defending her? no. let's go to manu raju.

jim. and as your staff related the event to you your staff member could overhear mr solomon on the phone we could overhear the president on the phone with mr simon is that right that's correct so this is the president just i'm speaking loud enough on the phone this was a cell phone i take it it was a cell phone the president was speaking loud enough for your staff member to be able to overhear this it was and what your staff member could overhear was president trump asking a bastard song about quote the investigation says i right that's correct and i think you testified also that you had come to understand. that the term investigations was a term that a master someone as well as volcker used to mean matters related to the 2016 elections and to the investigations of barisan in the bidens is that correct that is correct mr chairman so your staff member here is the president asking about the investigations meeting the bidens and 2016 and a master someone told president trump that the ukrainians were ready to move forward he did and i think you said that after the call when your staff asked bester saw that what present trump thought of ukraine his r

simons the presumption and that he had a new state yesterday but out mr. volkers one in my mind the definitive accnt foot hold on. >>president juan said someone could be trusted. >that was jima reporting the white house also suffered political damage with the electoral losses virginia and the possible loss in a race for kentucky's governor seat. >>kentucky governor matt bevin asking for a recount or murray canvas as 's calling it after yesterday's election. the republican fe democratic attorneys general andy bashir in an attempt to seek a second term bevin's campaig says the election is still too close to cal reports aording to them of voting irregarities. the ecifics of which. >>we're in the process of getting affidavit and other information that will help us to get a better understanding of what did or did not happen. those will forthcoming in the days ahead. >>keep in mind. this is kentucky usually a ruby red state and theemocrat here bashir says the election is over he claimed victory last night his campaign says it does not believe the recount will change the outcome. a recount or re canvais a reprint of the receipts fom voting machines that can be used to check electi