Career
He pioneered the rating of bonds and founded Moody"s Investors Service. Moody"s Manuals are still issued, carrying on the tradition begun by Moody"s Manual of Railroads and Corporation Securities and continued by the annual Moody"s Analyses of Investments. Moody"s was later merged into Dun & Bradstreet, only to again become an independent corporation in October 2000.
Moody"s status is reflected in Thomas Friedman"s 1996 comment: that
There are two superpowers in the world today in my opinion.
There"s the United States and there"s Moody"s Bond Rating Service. The United States can destroy you by dropping bombs, and Moody"s can destroy you by downgrading your bonds.
And believe me, it"s not clear sometimes who"s more powerful. (February 13, 1996 interview with Jim Lehrer)
In 2007, Moody"s Corporation was split into two operating divisions, Moody"s Investors Service, the rating agency, and Moody"s Analytics, with all of its other services.
He was one of five children.