Zvi Mowshowitz

Career

Mowshowitz is an alumnus of Columbia University and holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He co-founded and was the CEO of MetaMed, a medical research analysis firm. He has worked at Jane Street Capital, and has worked for the gambling industry in Las Vegas. He attempted to launch a blockchain game, Emergents, in 2020.

''Magic: The Gathering''

Mowshowitz held a developer intern position at Wizards of the Coast R&D in 2005. He created the deck TurboZvi. His first-place finishes at major competitions were the 1999 World Championships as part of the four-person United States national team, the 2001 Pro Tour Tokyo, and two 2003 Grand Prix. He has placed in the top eight of four Pro Tours, and earned over $140,000 playing Magic competitively. In 2007, Mowshowitz was elected into the Magic Hall of Fame.

Mowshowitz has written about Magic for several outlets, including the official Magic website.

Later career

Mowshowitz is on the board of directors for the Center for Applied Rationality, and is a member of the rationalist community. He also founded Balsa Research, a nonprofit think tank which advocated for the repeal of the Jones Act, increasing the housing supply, and reform of the National Environmental Policy Act. In 2023, Mowshowitz wrote an article for Vox on the topic of artificial intelligence safety.

Mowshowitz has a blog on Substack under the name "Don't Worry about the Vase". He has written on topics such as artificial intelligence, economics, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Personal life

Mowshowitz is the son of American biochemist Deborah Mowshowitz. His parents have both worked as Columbia University professors.

References

References

1. (2 October 2014). "Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders". Wizards of the Coast.
2. "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s".
3. "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s".
4. "Lifetime Pro Points".
5. "LinkedIn Profile".
6. (16 May 2023). "Should we halt progress in AI? Reflections on our interview with Zvi Mowshowitz".
7. (11 July 2024). "AI #72: Denying the Future".
8. (13 June 2020). "Emergents: Zvi Mowshowitz's quest to shake up the video game business". Fortune.
9. (2005). "The Origins of Zvi". Star City Games.
10. (2007). "Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame Profiles – Zvi Mowshowitz". [[Wizards of the Coast]].
11. (7 September 2007). "The Class of 2007". Wizards of the Coast.
12. Elinson, Zusha. (February 22, 2025). "A Silicon Valley Intellectual Society Kicked Them Out. Now They're Tied to a Killing Spree.". [[Wall Street Journal]].
13. "FAQ".
14. Mowshowitz, Zvi. (December 13, 2023). "We're still in a fight for survival when it comes to AI safety". [[Vox (website).
15. Mowshowitz, Zvi. (2023-12-13). "The Best of Don't Worry About the Vase".
16. (2023-12-13). "Zvi Mowshowitz Profile and Activity".