• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, March 4, 2026

Ben Levisohn was recently named editor in chief of Barron’s, the slot once held by legends like founder Clarence Walker Barron and writer Alan Abelson. But he is not the type to boast about his new title—or his plans. 

“If I do my job right, I’m hoping nobody notices what we do,” he laughs.

Despite that modesty, people are watching. Barron’s is an investment magazine that seeks “the best analysis and investments advice we can,” Levisohn says. The goal is to “cut through noise and conflicts on Wall St. and elsewhere by providing really good reporting and analysis of stocks and the stock market. 

Levinsohn would like to introduce a few things into the magazine, maybe a few different types of articles, maybe more sector focused.” But he stresses that this is not a turnaround effort.  

“Part of it is that the markets are always changing," he says. "We try to be as responsive as we can, and not fall into the consensus trap, where people start telling the same stories and nothing ever changes, then it does change and you don’t want to be on the wrong side.” 

Levisohn stepped into this role after 12 years at Barron’s, including a stint as managing editor. He sees himself as a writer first, but decided he could do the top job when the prior editor in chief Cavid Cho moved to CNBC. “I have this picture inside my head of what Barron’s should be,” he says. “I applied for it, the process took a little while.” 

“Ben takes the helm at a time when investor interest in markets and Barron’s is stronger than ever,” says Almar Latour, CEO of parent Dow Jones. “As both a veteran financial editor and a veteran of financial markets—as well as the creator of many highly successful new initiatives for the brand—Ben is uniquely well positioned to take on leadership of Barron’s across all platforms."

How is Levisohn handling his new responsibilities?

He gets up a little before 6 a.m. each day, and promptly checks his messages. Heading to work on the subway from Brooklyn, he tries to discern what the market is doing, and does so by the time he arrives around 7:30, thanks in part to the team in London and the early starters in New York. The day is spent in meetings and writing and editing. He usually leaves around 6:30 p.m. 

Levisohn acknowledges that he and the magazine both have changed. “When I started, the digital strategy was just to have four or five bloggers writing about what was happening on a daily basis," he recalls. I was one of them—I covered emerging markets. Each morning, you’d have to feed the beast. It was a lot of fun.” 

These days, Barron’s is a platform-agnostic publication, although the magazine remains important. “There are huge numbers of readers who love to get their Barron’s on Saturday morning and drink their coffee and read it.”  

But digital is still where every story gets published first,” Levisohn says. “I’m happy to write wherever, but I want the online articles to be as good as Barron’s print.”

Levisohn was a stock trader for eight years, reading Barron’s before he became a journalist. As such, he read and enjoyed Alan Abelson, the columnist and editor in chief who was known for his acerbic writing. “I started just as his tenure was ending,” he notes. “He’s still the epitome of what Barron’s is. He had the willingness to poke and prod and be wrong." (Levisohn wryly notes, “he was wrong a lot.”)

Abelson was known for "taking reporters without any financial knowledge and turning them into great financial reporters,” Levisohn adds. 

For his part, Levisohn hopes to bring some “lightness of touch” to the product. “I find financial markets extraordinarily entertaining,” he says. “Trading stocks can be fun. It can also be terrifying. I think I got the job because I want to focus in on the core—investing.” 

How does he see the market? “I wrote a 26-page preview, and I predicted the S&P would finish at 2%, roughly flat,” he says. “It’s a messy market, with a lot of push and pull going on.”

As for relaxation, Levisohn is focused on family—he has a daughter in her first year of college, and a son in high school. He is an avid reader. And he plays guitar, although he doesn’t have the time to be in a band. Still, it’s something to fall back on if the market goes bust.