Zvi Mowshowitz
American Magic: The Gathering player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zvi Mowshowitz is an American writer and member of the rationalist community who primarily discusses new developments in artificial intelligence. He is a former competitive Magic: The Gathering player and was CEO of MetaMed.
| Zvi Mowshowitz | |
|---|---|
Zvi Mowshowitz playing poker at the Manifold conference in 2023 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Pro Tour debut | 1998 Pro Tour Los Angeles |
| Winnings | US$ 147,010[1] |
| Pro Tour wins (Top 8) | 1 (4)[2] |
| Grand Prix wins (Top 8) | 2 (9)[3] |
| Lifetime Pro Points | 261[4] |
| Planeswalker Level | 47 (Archmage) |
Career
Mowshowitz is an alumnus of Columbia University and holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics.[5][6] He co-founded and was the CEO of MetaMed, a medical research analysis firm.[7] He has worked at Jane Street Capital, and has worked for the gambling industry in Las Vegas.[7][8] He attempted to launch a blockchain game, Emergents, in 2020.[7]
Magic: The Gathering
Mowshowitz held a developer intern position at Wizards of the Coast R&D in 2005.[9] He created the deck TurboZvi.[7] 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.[10] In 2007, Mowshowitz was elected into the Magic Hall of Fame.[11]
| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Grand Prix | Boston | Block Constructed | 5–6 September 1998 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Pro Tour | New York | Block Constructed | 30 April–2 May 1999 | 3 |
| 1998–99 | Grand Prix | Washington D.C. | Limited | 19–20 June 1999 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Nationals | Special | 2–4 July 1999 | 4 | |
| 1998–99 | Worlds | Yokohama | National team | 4–8 August 1999 | 1 |
| 1999–00 | Invitational | Kuala Lumpur | Special | 2–5 March 2000 | 3 |
| 2000–01 | Grand Prix | Manchester | Limited | 7–8 October 2000 | 8 |
| 2000–01 | Pro Tour | Chicago | Standard | 1–3 December 2000 | 7 |
| 2000–01 | Pro Tour | Tokyo | Block Constructed | 16–18 March 2001 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | Masters | Barcelona | Booster Draft | 1–4 May 2001 | 4 |
| 2001–02 | Masters | New Orleans | Booster Draft | 31 October–3 November 2001 | 5 |
| 2001–02 | Masters | Osaka | Team Limited | 14–17 March 2002 | 5 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | New Jersey | Team Limited | 29–30 June 2002 | 2 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | New Orleans | Extended | 3–4 January 2003 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Boston | Limited | 22–23 February 2003 | 7 |
| 2002–03 | Masters | Yokohama | Booster Draft | 8–11 May 2003 | 5 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Pittsburgh | Team Limited | 31 May–1 June 2003 | 1 |
| 2003–04 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Standard | 29–30 August 2003 | 5 |
| 2003–04 | Invitational | Los Angeles | Special | 11–13 May 2004 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Portland | Modern | 11–12 May 2013 | 3 |
Last updated: 12 May 2013
Source: Wizards.com
Mowshowitz has written about Magic for several outlets, including the official Magic website.[10]
Later career
Mowshowitz is on the board of directors for the Center for Applied Rationality, and is a member of the rationalist community.[12] 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.[13] In 2023, Mowshowitz wrote an article for Vox on the topic of artificial intelligence safety.[14]
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.[15][16][non-primary source needed]
Personal life
Mowshowitz is the son of American biochemist Deborah Mowshowitz. His parents have both worked as Columbia University professors.[7]
Further reading
- Kushner, David (2005). Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids : how a gang of geeks beat the odds and stormed Las Vegas. Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6407-4.
