Samir Varma

Physicist, hedge-fund founder, and author.

I write about physics, AI, and markets — and how to think clearly about all three.

Background

I have a PhD in Theoretical Physics from The University of Texas at Austin. My advisor was E.C.G. Sudarshan; Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg was on my dissertation committee. Both have since passed; their work and mentorship continue to shape mine.

Books

I am the author of The Science of Free Will: How Determinism Affects Everything from The Future of AI to Traffic to God to Bees. I am working on a second book tentatively titled I Wish I Had Known That about economics, finance, and politics. I am also currently a co-editor and chapter contributor for Quantum Theory meets Gravity (IntechOpen, 2025), and the editor and a chapter contributor for a forthcoming IntechOpen volume on investor behavior and investment strategies — submissions still open.

Outside the work

In my spare time I enjoy playing guitar and squash. My back won’t let me play golf any more. For computationally irreducible reasons, I have a particular fondness for detective and spy stories, and am obsessed with the music of The Beatles and Pink Floyd.

Experience

VS Asset Management, LLC Founder and Portfolio Manager — 2001 – Present

A completely new and unique investment management concept we call Risk Timing®, a systematic US equity strategy with explicit drawdown management. More on what Risk Timing® is →

Palm Energy Systems, LLC Co-Founder — 2016 – Present

Building ground-mounted solar energy systems for sites where conventional rooftop or utility-scale PV doesn't fit. Modular, transformer-scale capacity, deployable on land or surfaces existing arrays bypass.

Applango Systems, Ltd. Chairman and Chief Scientist — 2010 – 2022

Applango developed AI algorithms to make call centers, SaaS, and telecommunication companies much more efficient.

Speaking & podcasts

Available for podcasts, panels, and academic talks on physics, free will, AI, and markets. See Media for bios, press kit, speaking topics, and recent appearances. To invite me, email me.

Contact

The best way to reach me is by email: samir@samirvarma.com.

For media inquiries, bios, headshot, and the press kit, see Media. For published work, see Publications.