SEC 13F filings, documented in "The Greatest Trade Ever" by Gregory Zuckerman
John Alfred Paulson is the founder of Paulson & Co., a hedge fund that made one of the greatest trades in financial history — betting against subprime mortgages in 2007-2008 and generating approximately $15 billion in profit for the fund and $4 billion personally.
Paulson graduated from New York University and Harvard Business School, worked at Bear Stearns and Gruss Partners before founding Paulson & Co. in 1994. He was a relatively obscure merger arbitrage manager before his subprime bet made him a household name.
After the subprime triumph, Paulson's subsequent investment record has been mixed. Major losses on gold investments, Sino-Forest (a Chinese timber fraud), and pharmaceutical stocks significantly reduced the firm's assets. Paulson & Co. converted to a family office in 2020. His net worth is estimated at approximately $3.5 billion.