A hedge fund advised by Nassim Nicholas Taleb posted a 4,000% return. Here are 10 of his most thought-provoking quotes.

• As the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe, the stock market plunged more than 30%.
• While most investors suffered from the drop, one hedge fund provided its clients with returns in excess of 4,000%.
• The "Black Swan" fund, managed by a protege of Nassim Taleb, invested in securities and derivatives that benefited from the extreme market volatility caused by the coronavirus.
• Taleb is the author of 2007's "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" — a book that has had a lasting impact on investors and was released just before the start of the great financial crisis.
• Here are 10 of Taleb's most thought provoking quotes.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nassim Taleb was back in the news in April as one of his proteges posted a remarkable return for his hedge fund last quarter.

Mark Spitznagel of Universa Investments posted a 4,144% return as the fund profited from the heightened market volatility caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Spitznagel was a student of Taleb at New York University and together they established Empirica Capital in 1999. Additionally, Taleb serves as an adviser to Universa Investments.

The pair have specialized in tail-risk investment strategies that can post substantial returns during periods of market stress.

Read more: Morgan Stanley handpicks the 18 best US stocks to buy now while they're cheap to enjoy profits for years to come

Taleb is the author of 2007's "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" — a book that has had a lasting impact on investors and was released just before the start of the great financial crisis.

The book details the extreme impact of rare and unpredictable outlier events, and the human tendency to find simple explanations for these events, after the fact.

Here are 10 of the most thought-provoking quotes from Taleb.

'It is my great hope someday, to see science and decision makers rediscover what the ancients have always known. Namely that our highest currency is respect.'

Nassim Taleb.      Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images

Source: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

'A prophet is not someone with special visions, just someone blind to most of what others see.'

Nassim Taleb.      Yegor Aleyev\TASS via Getty Images

Source: The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

'Difficulty is what wakes up the genius.'

Nassim Taleb.      Anton Novoderezhkin\TASS via Getty Images

Source: Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

'More data—such as paying attention to the eye colors of the people around when crossing the street—can make you miss the big truck.'

Nassim Taleb.      Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Source: Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder

'A mistake is not something to be determined after the fact, but in light of the information available until that point.'

Nassim Taleb.      David Levenson/Getty Images

Source: Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

'Those who talk should do and only those who do should talk.'

Nassim Taleb.      Anton Novoderezhkin\TASS via Getty Images

Source: Skin in the Game: The Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life

'The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.'

Nassim Taleb.      Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images

Source: Skin in the Game: The Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life

'Courage is the only virtue you cannot fake.'

Nassim Taleb.      Naveen Jora /The India Today Group via Getty Images

Source: Skin in the Game: The Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life

'You need a story to displace a story.'

Nassim Taleb.      Mohd Zakir/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Source: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

'Wind extinguishes a candle, but energizes a fire.'

Getty Images / Andreas Rentz

Source: Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder