Scott Shellady Net Worth Explained: Trading, TV, And Teaching
Scott Shellady Net Worth analyzed through his long commodities career, media presence, advisory work, and teaching contributions in 2026.
Jan 15, 20261.8K Shares66.9K Views
Scott Shellady was born in Iowa. His parents, Ron and Sue, met at Drake University. After college, Ron was recruited by Cargill and later worked as a commodities trader. In 1973, Ron and Sue started a dairy farm near Galena, Illinois. Shellady and his siblings grew up on this farm, where they helped tend a dairy herd and cultivate crops of corn and soybeans.
Shellady attended Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois. After high school, Shellady enrolled at the University of Colorado at Boulder on a football scholarship. There he initially studied art and later switched to finance. He graduated in 1988 with a finance degree.
| Fact Category | Information |
| Full Name | Scott Shellady |
| Professional Name | Known as “The Cow Guy” |
| Scott Shellady Net Worth | No publicly verified estimate as of 2026 |
| Primary Field | Commodities trading and market analysis |
| Experience | Nearly 30 years in financial markets |
| Trading Origin | Began at Chicago Board of Trade |
| Global Work | Senior trading roles in London |
| Education | Finance degree, University of Colorado (1988) |
| Media Role | Markets commentator on major networks |
| Current Position | RFD-TV host and finance instructor |
The Cow Guy’s Trading And Media Career
Scott Shellady is a veteran commodities trader and market analyst who built a decades-long career in agricultural and financial markets. Based in Chicago with nearly 30 years of industry experience, he began his career on the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade.
Early on he worked as a floor broker in the corn futures pit at the CBOT. Over time Shellady held senior roles with major firms in both the U.S. and London, eventually founding his own advisory firm, The Cow Guy Group, and becoming a prominent on-air commentator.
He is widely known by his nickname “The Cow Guy” and for wearing a distinctive Holstein cow-patterned trading jacket during market commentary.
Education & Entry Into Trading
Shellady studied finance at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1988. After college, he entered Chicago’s trading community and by 1990 had relocated to London to run a trading desk.
From 1990 to 1993 he served as the European Managing Partner of Prime International Trading, a Chicago-based proprietary options firm, on the London International Financial Futures Exchange.
In that role he built the London operation into one of LIFFE’s largest options trading firms, overseeing everything from risk controls to regulatory reporting. This early experience gave Shellady a foundation in global markets and electronic trading that would shape his subsequent career.
Trading Career Timeline
In the mid-1990s, Shellady continued rising through major trading institutions in London. In 1993 he joined Muirpace Ltd. as a board member and director, building a new derivatives trading group until it merged into Speer Leeds in 1995.
He then spent several years at Deutsche Bank’s London offices starting around 1995, where he was an Associate Director responsible for revitalizing the bank’s options trading operations across Europe.
In 1998 Shellady became Managing Director of the Industrial Bank of Japan’s London futures division, overseeing that bank’s European futures trading activities.
During this period he also took on a senior technology role. He was an early shareholder and later the Chief Operating Officer of Patsystems plc, a London-based electronic futures trading platform, which he helped take public in March 2000.
After roughly 16 years abroad, Shellady returned to Chicago around 2006 to run his family’s decades-old futures brokerage.
Back in the U.S. markets, he held a variety of roles in agricultural and financial trading. He worked with brokerage firms, including a brief position managing agricultural commodities at GFI in 2010, and consulted for other exchanges.
In 2012 he joined the Trean Group as a Senior Vice President of derivatives. Two years later he became a partner at TJM Investments, later known as TJM Institutional Services, a Chicago-based futures and options broker.
By 2016 he was named Managing Director of TJM’s European operations. His expertise led Marex Solutions to recruit him in 2019. Marex announced Shellady would head their newly launched U.S. OTC agricultural hedging business.
Signature Identity: “The Cow Guy” Brand
A defining element of Shellady’s persona is his Holstein-patterned trading jacket, which earned him the moniker “The Cow Guy.”
The jacket is a tribute to a tradition started by his father, a former CBOT trader and dairy farmer. Shellady has explained that his father wore the cow-print coat in the pits to advertise the fact that he was a user, a producer and a middleman.
When Shellady entered trading, he decided to carry on the tradition of wearing his jacket, using it to highlight the farming and ranching side of commodities.
He says the jacket’s purpose is to remind fellow traders that the markets are grounded in real farms and ranches, not just some sort of casino in Vegas.
Over the years, the cow jacket has become Shellady’s trademark on the trading floor and on television, and “The Cow Guy” has become the brand under which he provides market analysis.
Media Career & On-Air Commentary
Building on his trading background, Shellady established himself as a media commentator on agricultural markets. He frequently appears on major financial news networks, discussing commodities and economic trends from the perspective of an experienced trader.
Outlets that routinely feature Shellady include Bloomberg TV, CNBC, CNN, BBC and Fox Business News.
Beyond television, Shellady has contributed to radio and print media aimed at agribusiness audiences. He has done fill-in hosting on agricultural radio shows such as Chicago’s AM560.
He has also written guest columns for industry publications including the Northwest Indiana Times, the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star.
These activities have made him a recognizable market voice in both urban and rural media forums.
RFD-TV: Cow Guy Close
In 2021 Shellady joined RFD-TV, a cable network focused on agriculture, as a markets specialist, and he later became the host of his own daily program.
RFD-TV launched “Cow Guy Close,” a weekday market-close commentary show hosted by Scott Shellady.
The program airs in the early afternoon and in April 2025 was expanded to a full hour from 1:30 to 2:30 PM ET in response to viewer demand.
On Cow Guy Close, Shellady breaks down the day’s commodity and equity market moves with an emphasis on agricultural impacts, often interviewing industry experts and analysts.
RFD-TV describes the show as an hour that digs into the day’s commodity market close, providing insight on ag-sector trends and expert financial analysis tailored specifically to the rural economy.
This flagship program has cemented Shellady’s role as a media anchor in the rural finance community, delivering markets coverage aimed at farmers and ranchers.
Recent Work & Current Career Status
As of 2026, Shellady remains active on multiple professional fronts. He continues to anchor Cow Guy Close on RFD-TV and contributes market commentary on other platforms.
He also teaches finance as an adjunct professor at DePaul University in Chicago, bringing real-world trading experience to the classroom.
In addition, Shellady leads The Cow Guy Group, the consultancy he founded, through which he offers trading education and market analysis. Profiles note that he spends his time as a markets anchor on RFD-TV and as a finance instructor at DePaul.
Through these roles, educator, commentator and advisor, Shellady maintains a prominent presence in the commodities industry, influencing both professional traders and agricultural audiences.
Scott Shellady Net Worth
As of 2026, no reliable public source has published a net worth estimate for Scott Shellady. He is a veteran commodities trader and financial analyst known as “The Cow Guy.”
He hosts the market-close show “The Cow Guy Close” on RFD-TV and appears regularly on networks like CNBC and Fox Business.
Shellady spent decades building trading firms in London and Chicago before moving into media; he also serves as an adjunct finance professor at DePaul University. His income comes from his trading career, media appearances, and teaching roles.
FAQs
Who Is Scott Shellady?
Scott Shellady is a commodities trader and financial market analyst known as “The Cow Guy.” He has decades of experience in agricultural and financial markets and is also a television commentator and educator.
What Is Scott Shellady Known For?
He is best known for his work in commodities trading and for wearing a distinctive cow-patterned jacket during market commentary. The nickname reflects his background in agriculture and futures markets.
What Is Scott Shellady’s Net Worth?
Scott Shellady’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed. No reliable or verifiable source has published an estimate as of 2026.
How Did Scott Shellady Start His Trading Career?
He began his career on the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade as a floor broker in agricultural futures. This early experience shaped his long-term focus on commodities markets.
Has Scott Shellady Worked Internationally?
Yes, he spent many years working in London in senior trading and management roles. His work included leadership positions at major financial institutions and trading firms.
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