Panic swirling around him, the lone man walked as if he hadn’t noticed.

His mind was elsewhere: on the opportunities brewing before him.

He headed across the street in a dark, tailored waistcoat, a light-colored dress shirt, and a cravat, as was the custom at the time.

His name? Henry Clews, an Englishman who’d risen through the ranks to become a prominent American banker.

See…

This was 1857, markets were crashing against insane fear. People freaking out, headlines screeching:

Endgame for the American Dream?

But our man Clews? Calm as a hot swamp. Cooler than a winter breeze in Chicago.

And he wasn’t just watching the panic; he was riding it like a dragon, turning that fear into fuel, eating crises for breakfast.

Then, boom, the moment he was waiting for…

Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company hits the deck. Domino effect -- banks busting, businesses closing up shop, New York streets flooding tears.

Where others saw a disaster, clews saw a canvas, patterns emerging from the panic.

How?

The Revelation

Clews understood something fundamental eluding all else.

The Panic, he realized, was psychological; a crisis of confidence.

He reasoned that the fundamentals of the American spirit – its industriousness and ingenuity – were still intact.

In other words, he adapted. It wasn’t the end of the world. It was an opportunity.

He bought stocks that had been discarded like yesterday’s newspaper, he invested in businesses deemed too risky by others, and he extended credit when credit was a scarce commodity.

As the weeks rolled into months, Clews’ gamble began to pay off.

The economy did rebound, as he had bet it would.

The stocks that were once deemed worthless began to climb in value. The businesses he had invested in started to show profit.

Not only was he right. He was filthy rich.

Is The Recession Already Here?

Henry Clews' story was a journey from a relatively unknown English immigrant to a titan of Wall Street.

It’s a story of the power of calm courage and sharp foresight.

Of course, Clews lived in a different time.

But his attitude is timeless.

While all else were freaking out, Clews adapted to the market, made calm, strategic bets…

And came out way on top.

Fast-forward to 2023:

With another potential crisis looming, our Paradigm colleagues are following in Clews’ footsteps.

Here’s the most pressing question: 

“Is the recession already here?” asks Jim Rickards. 

“That’s not a rhetorical question. It’s almost always the case that recessions begin before most everyday Americans let alone analysts are aware. Economists on Wall Street and at the Federal Reserve are usually the last to know.”

More on that tomorrow.