Who is Michael Burry? The real life investor from ‘The Big Short’ movie is seeing bubbles and betting against AI

Michael Burry is once again making headlines in the world of stocks and investing, this time for his bold stance on the future of artificial intelligence.

Burry takes aim at Nvidia and Palantir

In his latest 13F filing - a quarterly report required for institutional investment managers overseeing $100 million or more in assets - the 54-year-old investor and hedge fund manager revealed major short positions against two of Wall Street’s AI favorites: Nvidia and Palantir.

Scion Asset Management, Burry’s hedge fund, has purchased more than $1 billion in put options against the two companies. These options allow the fund to profit if share prices fall. Roughly 80% of Scion’s portfolio is currently positioned against Nvidia and Palantir.

Warning signs from Burry

The move follows a cryptic social media post from Burry about “seeing bubbles,” widely interpreted as a reference to the AI sector. “Sometimes, the only winning move is not to play,” he wrote on X.

From medicine to Wall Street

Born and raised in San Jose, California, Burry is best known for being among the first investors to predict and profit from the subprime mortgage crisis that triggered the 2008 financial meltdown.

Investing began as a hobby for Burry, who studied economics and pre-med at the University of California. He later attended medical school and worked as a neurology resident at Stanford Hospital before leaving to start his own hedge fund, Scion Capital, which he financed through an inheritance and family loans.

Early success and “The Big Short”

Burry achieved strong early returns for his investors and turned his focus to the subprime market in 2005. After extensive research, he concluded that the real estate bubble would burst in 2007, a prediction many in his fund doubted. His analysis proved correct, earning an estimated $800 million for investors, $100 million of which went to Burry himself.

Following his success, he shut down Scion Capital, returned outside capital, and largely withdrew from public life. His story later gained renewed fame when Christian Bale portrayed him in “The Big Short”, the 2015 film about the housing market collapse.

Scion’s revival and Burry’s current wealth

In 2013, Burry revived the firm as Scion Asset Management, a privately held version of his original hedge fund. Based on its filings, the firm manages at least $100 million, though the exact amount is undisclosed.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Burry’s personal fortune is estimated at around $300 million.

Personal life and health

Burry, who has two adult children, reportedly owns a home in Saratoga, California, which he and his wife purchased for $3.8 million in 2004. In 2021, the couple also bought a one-acre estate in Nashville, Tennessee, for $2.55 million.

When Burry was two years old, he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer, which caused the loss of his left eye. He now wears a glass eye. One of his sons has Asperger’s syndrome, and Burry has said he believes he also shares the condition after researching it extensively.

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