Former Merrill Lynch executive publishes memoir on hiding dyslexia for 25 years

Louisburg Publishing released Andrew Haigney’s memoir, OUTCAST: A Dyslexic in an Ivy League World, on Sept. 29, 2026, ahead of Dyslexia Awareness Month. The book recounts how Haigney built a Wall Street career while concealing severe dyslexia and no college degree, then left finance to become a writer and advocate.

Why it matters: - Andrew Haigney’s memoir adds a Wall Street perspective to the dyslexia conversation. - The book focuses on long-term masking, elite hiring norms and the gap between credentials and performance. - The release comes just before October’s national Dyslexia Awareness Month.

What happened: - Louisburg Publishing released OUTCAST: A Dyslexic in an Ivy League World on Sept. 29, 2026. - The memoir is by Andrew Haigney, a former Senior Vice President in Merrill Lynch’s Institutional Department. - Haigney says he hid severe dyslexia from colleagues, clients and superiors for 25 years. - Haigney was diagnosed with dyslexia in fourth grade and ADHD in his forties. - Haigney graduated last in his high school class and never earned a college credit. - Haigney went on to advise banks, mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity firms on investment strategies. - Haigney worked alongside Ivy League-educated colleagues who did not know he was a functional illiterate.

The details: - Haigney says, “Nobody at Merrill Lynch knew. That was the point. September 29th, they find out.” - OUTCAST argues against viewing dyslexia only as a “superpower,” and instead centers the cost of navigating systems built for other people. - The memoir uses Haigney’s credential gap to critique how Wall Street and elite corporations evaluate talent. - After leaving finance, Haigney gave up his Beacon Hill lifestyle, moved his family into a custom tour bus previously owned by George Strait and spent a year on the road. - Haigney later settled in rural Vermont. - Haigney became an outspoken investor advocate and then a writer. - The book is structured in three parts: School, Work and Life. - OUTCAST is available in paperback, hardcover, e-book and audiobook. - Veteran performer Malcolm Hillgartner narrated the audiobook. - Early reviewers compared the narrative to Michael Lewis’s Liar’s Poker and said the book carries a different kind of anxiety about belonging. - The book is categorized as Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs and Biography & Autobiography / People with Disabilities.

Between the lines: - Haigney’s story pushes back on the polished, inspirational version of disability success stories. - The memoir suggests that elite institutions can reward performance while missing, or ignoring, the hidden work required to sustain it. - The book also reflects a broader shift in disability discourse, from celebration alone to questions about access, masking and status.

What’s next: - Haigney is available for interviews about what he calls the “gentrification” of dyslexia, corporate masking and finding a path without traditional credentials. - Louisburg Publishing lists media contact through info@louisburgpublishing.com. - Haigney’s social profiles are available on LinkedIn and Instagram.

The bottom line: - OUTCAST turns one executive’s hidden disability into a critique of how elite workplaces define talent and success.