John Paulson made his fortune by taking a massive short position against the US housing bubble. Today the hedge fund billionaire is betting that the US political system will fail. This time he has company. Other billionaires have launched a lawsuit to force the US Treasury to pay shareholders vast sums from the government-sponsored housing enterprises that it bailed out in 2008. Betting on Washington’s largesse has become a routine investment strategy. Whether this one works, aspiring billionaires should take note: if you want to strike it lucky, try shorting American democracy. The risk is small and the rewards are spectacular.
约翰•保尔森(John Paulson)凭借着针对美国房地产泡沫的巨额空头头寸发了财。如今，这位对冲基金界的亿万富翁正在押注美国政治体系失灵。这回，他不是孤军奋战。其他亿万富翁已发起诉讼，试图迫使美国财政部(US Treasury)为其在2008年纾困的政府支持的房贷机构向股东支付大笔款项。押注政府的慷慨已成为常见的投资策略。无论此举能否奏效，那些雄心勃勃的亿万富翁都应当留意：要想一下子走运，不妨做空美国民主制度。风险低，回报丰厚。