History of Jim Cramer in Timeline

Jim Cramer is a well-known American television personality, author, and former hedge fund manager. He hosts CNBC's Mad Money and is an anchor on Squawk on the Street. After Harvard, he worked at Goldman Sachs before starting his hedge fund, Cramer Berkowitz. He also co-founded TheStreet.com, contributing articles from 1996 to 2021. Cramer gained further recognition with Mad Money, which premiered in 2005. He has authored several books on finance and investing, offering his perspectives and strategies for navigating the market.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1988: Marriage to Karen Backfisch

In 1988, Jim Cramer married Karen Backfisch, a former stock trader known as the Trading Goddess.

December 2006: Stewart Challenges Cramer on Short-Selling Contradiction

During a conflict between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer, Stewart presented video clips from December 2006 in which Cramer discussed spreading false rumors to drive down stock prices and encouraged short-selling by hedge funds. Stewart challenged Cramer to protect viewers from this behavior and suggested changes to his reporting approach.

December 2006: Hedge Fund Activities to Manipulate Stock Prices

In December 2006, Jim Cramer described activities, some of debatable legality and others illegal, used by hedge fund managers, including himself, to manipulate stock prices. He explained how he could use as little as $5 million to push stocks higher or lower and encouraged hedge funds to engage in this type of activity because it is a "very quick way to make money."

December 22, 2006: Cramer Discusses Spreading False Rumors

In a video clip from December 22, 2006, Jim Cramer talked about spreading false rumors to manipulate stock prices. He also encouraged hedge funds to engage in short-selling as a means to generate returns, calling it a very quick way to make money.

August 3, 2007: Cramer's Rant Calling for Interest Rate Cut

On August 3, 2007, Jim Cramer made a plea for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, criticizing the Fed Committee by saying "They're nuts. They know nothing. This is a different kinda market. And the Fed is asleep."

August 7, 2007: Federal Reserve Meeting on Market Conditions

On August 7, 2007, The Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee held a meeting where Dennis Lockhart, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, mentioned Jim Cramer's market observations which elicited laughter from other participants during his comment.

August 28, 2007: Release of Federal Reserve Meeting Transcript

On August 28, 2007, the transcript from the August 7, 2007, meeting of the Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee was released. It showed that Dennis Lockhart's mention of Jim Cramer's market observations elicited laughter from participants.

March 11, 2008: Cramer's "Mad Money" Bear Stearns Recommendation

On March 11, 2008, during an episode of Cramer's show Mad Money, in response to a viewer's question about concerns regarding Bear Stearns' liquidity, Cramer stated, "No! No! No! Bear Stearns is not in trouble. If anything, they're more likely to be taken over. Don't move your money from Bear."

March 14, 2008: Bear Stearns Stock Collapse

On March 14, 2008, Bear Stearns stock lost more than half of its value following news of a Federal Reserve bailout and a $2/share takeover by JPMorgan Chase.

March 17, 2008: Cramer Clarifies Bear Stearns Comments

On March 17, 2008, Jim Cramer clarified that his previous statements about Bear Stearns were related to the liquidity of accounts held at the firm, rather than a recommendation for the common stock. He stated that he was allaying concerns about account holders' liquidity in their Bear Stearns brokerage accounts.

September 19, 2008: Cramer Blames Federal Reserve for Housing Bubble

On September 19, 2008, during an appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews, Jim Cramer blamed the Federal Reserve for the United States housing bubble.

2008: Cramer Vindicated by Financial Crisis

In 2008, Jim Cramer's negative outlook on the market was vindicated when the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession took hold.

March 2, 2009: Cramer Criticizes Obama's Agenda

On March 2, 2009, Jim Cramer stated that then-President Barack Obama was pursuing a "radical agenda" and blamed him for "the greatest wealth destruction I have seen by a president". White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs responded to Cramer's statements.

March 5, 2009: Cramer Responds to White House Criticism

On March 5, 2009, Jim Cramer responded to criticism from the White House, citing the stock market's decline since President Obama's inauguration and expressing concerns about the potential impact of proposed policies like raising taxes, healthcare changes, and cap-and-trade programs.

March 8, 2009: Cramer Responds to Frank Rich's Charges

Referring to charges leveled against him by The New York Times columnist Frank Rich on March 8, 2009, Jim Cramer questioned the timing of President Obama's plans to raise taxes, implement cap-and-trade limitations, and rework the healthcare system during a recession, suggesting those plans should be addressed later.

March 12, 2009: Cramer Admits Mistakes on Bear Stearns Calls

On March 12, 2009, during a conflict with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, Jim Cramer admitted that he made mistakes regarding his Bear Stearns calls.

March 2009: Stock Market Performance

By the end of March 2009, major stock market indexes had more than doubled from their levels.

2009: Purchase of DeBary Inn and Ownership of Bar San Miguel

In 2009, Jim Cramer and four other investors purchased the DeBary Inn in Summit. He and his wife also own Bar San Miguel, a restaurant and bar serving Mexican cuisine in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

2009: Cramer's Dispute with Nouriel Roubini

In 2009, Jim Cramer criticized Nouriel Roubini, suggesting he was overly confident in his predictions. Roubini responded by calling Cramer a "buffoon" and telling him to "just shut up." Cramer then invited Roubini to appear on his show to repeat the statement.

2009: Divorce from Karen Backfisch

In 2009, Jim Cramer divorced Karen Backfisch.

2009: Cramer Considered for Time 100

In 2009, Jim Cramer was one of about 200 candidates considered for the Time 100 list.

2013: Cramer Discusses Mental Health Issues

In 2013, during an interview on The Carlos Watson Show, Jim Cramer discussed his mental health issues related to anger and workplace behavior, attributing the problems to his childhood experiences with his father.

April 18, 2015: Marriage to Lisa Cadette Detwiler

On April 18, 2015, Jim Cramer married Lisa Cadette Detwiler, a real-estate broker and general manager of The Longshoreman, an Italian bistro/restaurant in Brooklyn, New York City.

September 15, 2020: Cramer Addresses Pelosi as "Crazy Nancy"

On September 15, 2020, during a TV interview with U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Jim Cramer referred to her as "Crazy Nancy" and defended his actions in subsequent tweets. He later apologized for using the phrase.

2021: Roubini Calls Cramer an Idiot

In 2021, Nouriel Roubini referred to Jim Cramer as "a total f---ing idiot".

2022: Inverse Cramer ETF Launch

In 2022, Tuttle Capital Management filed to launch two funds, "LJIM" and "SJIM", representing "Long Cramer" (betting with Cramer's recommendations) and "Inverse Cramer" (betting against his recommendations), respectively. The Inverse Cramer ETF intends to generally bet against all of Cramer's recommendations on Mad Money and his Twitter feed.