Jim Chanos: The Madness of Markets

Johnny HopkinsJames Chanos1 Comment

During his recent interview with The Odd Lots Podcast, Jim Chanos had some interesting things to say about current market absurdities. On Bitcoin “treasury” companies, he’s said: “It’s rarely that I have to increase my personal security after a podcast… but I had to do after our last podcast together … Read More

Jim Chanos: The Fall of Tech Body Shops

Johnny HopkinsJames ChanosLeave a Comment

When it comes to spotting market illusions, Jim Chanos has made a career out of betting against them. Speaking at the 2025 Forbes Iconoclast Summit, the legendary short-seller didn’t hold back. “It’s been a great day for you. Given what’s going on with Tesla. I know you’re short Tesla.” His … Read More

Jim Chanos: How Passive Investing Broke Capitalism’s Signaling Mechanism

Johnny HopkinsJames ChanosLeave a Comment

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, legendary short-seller Jim Chanos delivered a sobering assessment of today’s financial markets, warning investors about unchecked speculation, political volatility, and the hidden dangers of disruptive technologies like AI. Known for his skepticism, Chanos cautioned that the current environment resembles past bubbles—where promises overshadow reality—and … Read More

Jim Chanos: Why Good Short Sellers Are Born, Not Made

Johnny HopkinsJames ChanosLeave a Comment

In his interview in the book – Efficiently Inefficient, Jim Chanos reflects on the challenges of short selling, emphasizing that it’s not simply the inverse of going long. He highlights the behavioral difficulty of staying short in a market that overwhelmingly promotes positive news about stocks, making it emotionally taxing … Read More

Jim Chanos: Investors Flock to Fraudulent Companies Despite Risks

Johnny HopkinsJames ChanosLeave a Comment

During his recent interview with Capitalisn’t, Jim Chanos describes a phenomenon observed in bull markets where investors, despite knowing the risks, are drawn to fraudulent, aggressive, and questionable companies for extended periods. This “irrational exuberance” is attributed to two factors: Systematic risk: This refers to the inherent uncertainty of the … Read More

Jim Chanos: Animal Spirits: Investors Are Ignoring Fundamentals in Favor of Emotion

Johnny HopkinsJames ChanosLeave a Comment

In this interview with the MRKT Call Podcast, Jim Chanos discusses the existence of “animal spirits” in the market, where emotions like speculation and short covering, rather than fundamentals, are driving prices. He cites unprofitable companies experiencing significant stock price increases as evidence of this emotional trading. Here’s an excerpt … Read More

Jim Chanos – Top 10 Holdings – Latest 13F

Johnny HopkinsJames ChanosLeave a Comment

One of the best resources for investors are the publicly available 13F-HR documents that each fund is required to submit to the SEC. These documents allow investors to track their favorite superinvestors, their fund’s current holdings, plus their new buys and sold out positions. We spend a lot of time … Read More

Jim Chanos: Lessons From The Enron Scandal

Johnny HopkinsJames ChanosLeave a Comment

Included in his Yale Class Syllabus, Jim Chanos discusses some lessons from the Enron Scandal. Here’s an excerpt from the syllabus: Bethany McLean, then a Fortune writer, broke the Enron scandal in 2001. She quotes one employee explaining how the accounting and auditing process worked at Enron: “Say you have … Read More