Meet Diko Mihov

In his native Bulgaria, Diko Mihov showed enough promise to make the Olympiad Mathematics team. At age 16, he took home the gold — making good on that promise — and he’s still at it. In 1996, Diko earned a PhD in Mathematics from MIT. Here is what he has to say about it: "My experience was not all that different from that of any other student. I was exclusively focused on my work and research." He adds, "What does stand out is the help I received from my advisor. The person at MIT who influenced me most was David Vogan, an extraordinary person and terrific teacher." According to David Vogan, Diko was fantastically quick, always learning whatever he needed to by reading on his own. He was usually several jumps ahead of me in his work. Vogan continues, Diko was always extremely good at teaching, as gentle and careful of his students as he was harsh and demanding of himself. During Diko's last year at MIT, he began to look around and wonder about opportunities outside of academia. He considered Wall Street and gradually started, as he put it, the finance thing, where he learned that mathematics and finance have more similarities than differences. Both proved to be exciting, satisfying fields requiring a mix of quantitative and creative skills along with the ability to communicate —the same talents and skills he polished at MIT.

In 1997, Diko joined the D.E. Shaw group, a specialized investment and technology firm focused on the intersection between technology and finance. Today, Diko is one of the firm s managing directors. When asked what prompted his recent $250,000 pledge toward MIT graduate fellowships for students from Bulgaria, Diko says, It s simple, my PhD led to a career that allows me to give back to mathematics, so I do it. Diko's commitment to giving back is not limited to MIT. When he learned that Bulgaria s programs for talented children —the kind he had benefited from —could not find funding due to the changing economic climate, he established the American Foundation for Bulgaria (www.afbulgaria.org). To date, the foundation has awarded hundreds of merit-based scholarships to deserving Bulgarian students. When asked about his foundation work, Diko remarks simply, "It is rewarding."

David Vogan remembers when Diko began at D.E. Shaw and says, "Immediately, Diko said what he liked most about the job was the people: 'very smart and really nice.' Diko didn't think that was automatic in the investment banking world." Continues Vogan, "Diko was always strongly appreciative of his parents and their support." Vogan wondered how Diko's parents reacted to his career, so we asked. Diko confides, "They are thrilled." So are we. In his role at D.E. Shaw, in founding the American Foundation for Bulgaria, and in his generous gift to the Mathematics Department, Diko is always investing in a future that puts a great deal of store in the past.

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This originally appeared in the 2006 Integral

Also read about Diko in Spectrum magazine's "The Sky's the Limit"