Bonanza opportunities are all about spotting unfilled needs. Almost a quarter century ago, a young analyst at Chicago's Harris Associates had a burning frustration over the lack of transparency in the daunting jungle of mutual fund and adviser performance. He turned that itch into initiative and changed the investment management world into a very clear goldfish bowl. In doing so, he built an information empire worth $2.8 billion, and over half of it is his.

How about globalization in reverse? This week one of Asia's largest consulting firms is acquiring a prominent Chicago firm in the same specialty.

Bonanza opportunities are all about spotting unfilled needs. Almost a quarter century ago, a young investment analyst at Chicago's Harris Associates had a burning frustration over the lack of transparency in the daunting jungle of mutual fund and adviser performance. He turned that itch into initiative and turned the whole investment management world into a very clear goldfish bowl. In doing so, he built an information empire that's worth $2.8 billion, and over half of it is his.