Michael Burry is an American investor and hedge fund manager who rose to fame after predicting the housing market crash of 2008. He is known for his sometimes unconventional investment strategies and his ability to identify profitable opportunities in the market. Burry's net worth has been a topic of interest for many, given his success in the financial industry.

Michael Burry has a net worth of about $300 million. He made a fortune by betting against the subprime mortgage market in 2008, a move that was later immortalized in the movie ”The Big Short.” Burry's investment strategies have been closely watched by investors and analysts alike, given his track record of success.

In recent years, Burry has made headlines for his investments in GameStop and Tesla, among other stocks. He has also been vocal about his concerns regarding the current state of the stock market, warning of a potential bubble. 

Early Life and Education

Medical Background

Michael Burry was born on June 19, 1971, in San Jose, California. At the age of two, he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that affects young children. As a result, he lost his left eye and had to wear a prosthetic eye throughout his life. Despite this challenge, Burry was able to overcome his medical condition and pursue his dreams.

Economics and Investment Education

Burry earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1995. He then went on to attend Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he received his M.D. degree in 2000. However, he decided to pursue a career in finance instead of medicine.

During his time at UCLA, Burry became interested in value investing, a strategy that involves buying undervalued stocks and holding them for the long term. He was inspired by the writings of Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett, two of the most successful investors of all time.

After completing his medical degree, Burry founded Scion Capital, a hedge fund that focused on value investing. He managed the fund from 2000 to 2008, during which time it generated significant returns for its investors. Burry's success earned him a reputation as one of the most talented investors in the industry.

Investment Philosophy

Value Investing Fundamentals

Michael Burry's investment philosophy is rooted in the principles of value investing. This approach involves identifying undervalued companies that have strong fundamentals and holding them for the long-term. Burry believes that the market often misprices stocks, creating opportunities for astute investors to profit.

One of the key tenets of Burry's value investing philosophy is the concept of a margin of safety. This means that he seeks to invest in companies that have a significant gap between their intrinsic value and their current market price. By doing so, he aims to protect his downside and minimize the risk of permanent capital loss.

Burry also places a strong emphasis on conducting bottoms-up, fundamental research. This involves analyzing a company's financial statements, competitive position, and growth prospects to determine its intrinsic value. He believes that by focusing on the fundamentals of individual companies, he can identify attractive investment opportunities that others may overlook.

Perspectives on Market Bubbles

Burry is perhaps best known for his prescient bets against the housing market in the mid-2000s, which were chronicled in the book and movie ”The Big Short.” He was one of the few investors who recognized the systemic risks posed by the subprime mortgage market and took steps to protect his investors from the impending collapse.

Burry's experiences during the financial crisis have informed his perspectives on market bubbles. He believes that bubbles are typically fueled by excessive speculation and a disconnect between asset prices and their underlying fundamentals. He also believes that bubbles can be difficult to predict and that investors should exercise caution when valuations become detached from reality.

In recent years, Burry has expressed concerns about the potential for a bubble in passive index funds, which he believes are distorting market prices and creating systemic risks. He has also warned about the risks of investing in cryptocurrencies, which he views as highly speculative and lacking intrinsic value.

Overall, Burry's investment philosophy is grounded in the principles of value investing and a focus on fundamentals. He believes that by maintaining a margin of safety and conducting rigorous research, investors can identify attractive opportunities and protect themselves from the risks of market bubbles.

Scion Capital and Asset Management

Foundation of Scion Capital

Michael Burry founded Scion Capital in 2000 with an initial capital boost of $1 million from Joel Greenblatt of Gotham Capital. Scion Capital was a hedge fund that focused on value investing. Burry's investment strategy was to identify undervalued companies and invest in them for the long term. He was known for his in-depth research and analysis, which allowed him to make profitable investments in companies that others overlooked.

Transition to Scion Asset Management

In 2008, Michael Burry closed Scion Capital to focus on his personal investments. He later founded Scion Asset Management, which manages his personal investments. Scion Asset Management is a family office that operates as a private investment partnership. The firm has a long-term investment horizon and invests in a variety of asset classes, including stocks, bonds, and commodities.

Scion Asset Management had assets under management worth over $100 million. Burry's investment career has been marked by his ability to identify undervalued companies and make profitable investments in them. He is known for his contrarian investment style and his willingness to take positions that are unpopular with the market.

The Big Short and Financial Crisis

Role in the Subprime Mortgage Crisis

Michael Burry played a crucial role in the subprime mortgage crisis that led to the financial crisis of 2007-2008. As a hedge fund manager, Burry was one of the few individuals who saw the impending collapse of the housing market and the mortgage-backed securities that were being sold based on these risky loans. He spent months researching and analyzing the market, and eventually came to the conclusion that the housing bubble was about to burst.

Burry was one of the first investors to recognize the potential of credit default swaps (CDS), a financial instrument that allowed investors to bet against the mortgage market. He used CDS to short the housing market, which meant that he was betting against the market and would make a profit if it collapsed. His investment strategy was risky, but it paid off when the housing market crashed in 2007-2008.

Profit from the Housing Bubble

Burry's investment strategy was chronicled in the book ”The Big Short” by Michael Lewis and the subsequent movie of the same name. The book and movie detail how Burry and a handful of other investors made millions of dollars by betting against the housing market. Burry's hedge fund, Scion Capital, made a profit of over $700 million from his investment in credit default swaps.

Michael Burry's net worth is now estimated to be around $300 million. However, it's possible that his net worth could be significantly higher if it weren't for the timing of his investments. Burry's investment strategy was risky and he faced a lot of criticism at the time, but his foresight and ability to see the bigger picture allowed him to profit from the subprime mortgage crisis while many others lost everything.

Michael Burry's Net Worth

Burry's wealth comes from his successful investment career, which spans over two decades.

Earnings from Investments

Burry made most of his wealth through his personal investments and hedge fund management. He founded Scion Capital LLC in 2000, which he ran until 2008. During this time, he achieved impressive returns for his investors, with an average annualized return of 20%.

One of Burry's most successful investments was in the subprime mortgage market before the 2008 financial crisis. He recognized the instability of the market and bet against it, earning his investors significant profits. Burry's investment in GameStop in early 2021 also gained attention, with his maximum holding potentially worth over $1.5 billion at the company's peak stock price.

Assets and Holdings

Burry's personal investment portfolio includes a diverse range of assets, including stocks, bonds, and real estate. In addition to his personal investments, Burry also holds a stake in several companies through his hedge fund. Some of the companies in which he held a significant stake include Alphabet Inc., Facebook Inc., and Microsoft Corporation.

Overall, Michael Burry's net worth is a testament to his successful investment career and his ability to identify undervalued assets. While his wealth has fluctuated over the years, he remains a respected figure in the investment community and continues to make strategic investments.

Notable Investments and Predictions

GameStop and the Reddit Phenomenon

Michael Burry made headlines in early 2021 for his investment in GameStop, a struggling video game retailer. Burry's investment in GameStop was based on his belief that the company was undervalued and had potential for growth. However, his investment gained even more attention when a group of amateur investors on Reddit's WallStreetBets forum drove up the stock price through a coordinated buying effort, causing a short squeeze on hedge funds that had bet against the stock.

However, Burry also warned that the GameStop phenomenon was a sign of a market bubble, and that the stock prices of many companies were being driven up by speculation rather than fundamentals. At GameStop’s Reddit-fueled high of $483, Burry’s maximum holding could have been worth over $1.5 billion.

Bets Against Tech Stocks

In addition to his investment in GameStop, Burry has also made headlines for his bearish bets against tech stocks. Burry has expressed concerns about the high valuations of companies like Tesla, Alphabet Inc., and Facebook, and has taken out put options against their stocks.

Burry's skepticism about tech stocks is based on his belief that their valuations are not supported by their earnings or revenue growth. He has warned that the market is being driven by speculation rather than fundamentals, and that a correction is likely.

Burry has also made investments in gold and water, which he sees as safe havens in uncertain times. 

Public Presence and Influence

Depiction in Film and Literature

Michael Burry's story has been depicted in the film ”The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine” directed by Adam McKay. In the film, Burry is portrayed by Christian Bale. The film is based on the book ”The Big Short” by Michael Lewis and chronicles the events leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. Burry's accurate prediction of the housing market collapse and his subsequent investment in credit default swaps is a major plot point in the film.

The film was well-received by critics and audiences alike, and Bale's portrayal of Burry was praised for its accuracy. However, Burry himself has been critical of the film, stating that it took creative liberties with some of the events and characters.

Social Media Engagement

Michael Burry is not an active user of social media. He does not have an official Twitter account or any other social media presence. However, he has been the subject of many tweets and discussions on Twitter.

Burry has also made headlines in recent years for his investments in GameStop and other companies. His tweets about these investments have garnered attention from both the media and the investing community. Despite this, Burry remains a private individual and does not engage in social media or public appearances.

Influence on Modern Investing

Impact on Hedge Fund Management

Michael Burry's success as a hedge fund manager has had a significant impact on the industry. His investment strategies, which focus on value investing and contrarianism, have proven to be successful and have influenced many other hedge fund managers. Burry's approach to investing is based on his deep understanding of the companies he invests in and his ability to identify undervalued assets.

Critic of Passive Investing

Burry has been a vocal critic of passive investing, which is a popular investment strategy that involves investing in index funds that track the performance of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. He believes that passive investing has led to a bubble in the stock market and that it is not a sustainable investment strategy in the long run.

Burry has argued that passive investing is based on the assumption that all stocks in an index are equally valuable, which he believes is not true. He has also criticized the fact that passive investors do not conduct in-depth research on the companies they are investing in and are therefore not able to identify undervalued assets.

Despite his criticism of passive investing, Burry has also acknowledged the success of other investors, such as Joel Greenblatt, who have used a similar investment strategy to achieve great success.

Economic Views and Market Analysis

Michael Burry is known for his predictions on economic trends. He has been vocal about his concerns over the current state of the economy and has warned about the possibility of another recession. Burry has pointed to the high levels of debt and the potential for inflation as major issues that could lead to an economic downturn.

Article about Burry’s inflation warnings (Source: Business Insider)

Burry has also expressed concern about the Federal Reserve's policies, which he believes have contributed to the current economic situation. He has criticized the Fed's decision to keep interest rates low for an extended period of time, arguing that it has led to a misallocation of resources and encouraged risky behavior in the financial markets.

Despite his concerns, Burry has also identified areas of the economy that he believes are poised for growth. He has been bullish on the potential for renewable energy and has invested in companies that are working to develop new technologies in this area.

Frequently Asked Questions

How has Michael Burry's net worth changed over the years?

Michael Burry's net worth has fluctuated over the years, largely due to his investments. As of 2024, his net worth was estimated to be around $300 million. 

What are the key investments contributing to Michael Burry's current net worth?

Burry has made most of his wealth through his investments, particularly through his hedge fund, Scion Asset Management. He gained fame for his prediction of the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008, which allowed him to profit significantly from shorting the mortgage bond market. He also gained attention for his investment in GameStop.

What was Michael Burry's financial standing prior to the 2008 financial crisis?

Prior to the 2008 financial crisis, Burry was already a successful investor. However, it was his prediction of the subprime mortgage crisis and his subsequent investment strategy that led to significant financial gain and increased recognition.