This Ex-Hedge Fund Analyst Made Four Insider Trades. Then He Wore A Wire & Became An FBI Informant

BusinessThis Ex-Hedge Fund Analyst Made Four Insider Trades.

Then He Wore A Wire & Became An FBI InformantByForbesTV,Forbes StaffandBrittany Lewis,Forbes Staff.Follow AuthorsFeb 25, 2026, 02:05pm ESTBy all metrics, it seemed Tom Hardin was a success story — he grew up in a middle class family, worked hard to get into the University of Pennsylvania, and after graduating, worked his way up to becoming a successful hedge fund analyst. As he felt more and more pressure in the finance world, especially while watching others seemingly cut moral corners to get ahead, he decided to cross a line — Tom made four trades with insider information. Pretty soon after, the FBI issued him an ultimatum on a July morning in 2008 – either cooperate in their investigation into Wall Street, or potentially go to jail. In the throes of the global financial crisis, Tom wore a wire dozens of times, and with his help, the FBI was able to build more than 20 of the over 80 criminal cases in Operation Perfect Hedge, which has been described as the largest insider trading case in a generation. Tom Hardin wrote “Wired on Wall Street,” a book about making the trades, wearing a wire, and trying to rebuild his life after, and joins “Forbes True Crime” to discuss his story. Got a tip? Share confidential information with Forbes.Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions