Bridgewater Associates catches my eye as a firm that has fun with economics - they pioneered risk parity in the 1990s and have invested so much in intelligence and analytics that Paul Volcker commented that they have "a bigger staff, and produce more relevant statistics and analyses, than the Federal Reserve" [1]. Another one, going off the academic papers coming out of the firm and conversations with people I know there, may be AQR.
Note that it's more fun to prance around the trading floor Gangnam Style than compose oneself as an extra-dimensional intelligence, a memo the tech industry has taken to heart. The loudest kid isn't driving the bus.
Side note: Ray Dalio (founder of Bridgewater Associates) is an incredibly interesting guy. He wrote a 100 page handbook entitled "Principles" that describes his life philosophy in detail and is required reading material for all new associates. If you've ever wanted to see inside the thought process of the founder of the world's largest hedge fund, this is the way to do it.
From the intro:
"Above all else, I want you to think for yourself—to decide 1) what you want, 2) what is true and 3) what to
do about it...If you can’t do these
things, you should reflect on why that is, because you probably have discovered one of your greatest
impediments to getting what you want out of life."
Bridgewater's founder, Ray Dalio, wrote an amazing internal document on his principles of work, business, and life is an amazing read... one of the top pieces of nonfiction I've ever read --
Thank you for the suggestions. I wonder how possible it is to find a position at either firms if you aren't explicitly in the finance industry. I have no idea how to apply there and would be interested in talking to somebody about what goes on there.
Note that it's more fun to prance around the trading floor Gangnam Style than compose oneself as an extra-dimensional intelligence, a memo the tech industry has taken to heart. The loudest kid isn't driving the bus.
[1] http://www.economist.com/node/21549968