Peterffy Thomas

About Peterffy Thomas

Thomas Peterffy is best known as the founder and Chairman of the Board of Interactive Brokers Group, one of the leading U.S.-listed electronic brokerages. Born in Hungary, he first made his mark in U.S. options trading before founding the company in 1977. His career is closely tied to the shift from traditional floor-based market making to electronic execution, a transition he supported early and consistently. According to Interactive Brokers’ official history, he bought a seat on the American Stock Exchange and traded as an individual market maker in equity options, then began building automated systems to improve speed, pricing accuracy, and risk control. ([interactivebrokers.com](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/general/about/info-and-history.php?utm_source=openai)) Over time, Peterffy led Interactive Brokers’ evolution from a specialized market-making operation into a global trading and clearing platform serving sophisticated investors, active traders, and institutions. The company describes him as its founder and current chairman, while day-to-day executive leadership is handled by another CEO. That distinction is important: Peterffy is primarily a visionary builder of market infrastructure rather than a conventional financial executive. ([interactivebrokers.com](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/general/about/info-and-history.php?utm_source=openai)) Among his most notable achievements was the early introduction of trading technology designed to automate execution and improve efficiency in options markets. The company’s official history highlights the creation of one of the first handheld computers used for trading in 1983, underscoring his practical, engineering-driven approach to market innovation. Financial press coverage has also long noted his belief that electronic trading would become the future of markets, a conviction that ultimately defined Interactive Brokers’ identity and competitive edge. ([interactivebrokers.com](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/general/about/info-and-history.php?utm_source=openai)) In terms of expertise, Thomas Peterffy is associated with market microstructure, execution automation, options pricing, and risk management. He is also closely linked to the firm’s technology-first philosophy, emphasizing price, speed, product breadth, and direct access to global markets. For corporate-governance and executive-profile purposes, he stands out as a founder-chairman who helped transform brokerage from a traditional intermediary business into a publicly traded technology-enabled market platform in the United States. ([interactivebrokers.com](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/general/about/info-and-history.php?utm_source=openai))