# Is George Soros making Billions Out of this Stock market Crash? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 16, 2008, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184 "2008-10-16T12:45:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/1 "2008-10-16T12:45:14Z")
I noticed that after the big crash, Congress halted short selling. Then we had a big rally (Tuesday)-and short selling resumed-this was followed by Wednesday’s crash! I find the timing of this to be suspicious. Is there any information as to whether Soros took advantage of this halt (in short selling), and got word that the ban was to be rescinded? That would net him billions, if he then went short on Wednesday.😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/2 "2008-10-16T12:59:13Z")
> [@ralph123c](#): > > Is there any information as to whether Soros took advantage of this halt (in short selling), and got word that the ban was to be rescinded? Idono. Here’s an [interview](http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10102008/transcript1.html) Soros did with Bill Moyers a few days ago about the crisis, but he doesn’t seem to talk about his own recent trades. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/3 "2008-10-16T13:05:03Z")
I have a question…why single out George Soros? Is there a “Democratic Congress conspiring with liberal billionaire” angle you’re going for? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/4 "2008-10-16T14:58:33Z")
The vix hit its record high a week ago, and you think the timing of a big move is suspicious? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/5 "2008-10-16T17:55:23Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I have a question…why single out George Soros? Is there a “Democratic Congress conspiring with liberal billionaire” angle you’re going for? Seconded. There are thousands of speculators on Wall Street. Any one of them might have seen this coming and made out like a bandit. Why is it worthwhile to ask this question about Soros in particular? ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/6 "2008-10-17T02:40:09Z")
Because George Soros is eeeeeeevil. I heard Bill O’Reilly say so! ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/7 "2008-10-17T02:43:37Z")
If he was a smart businessman, and he was prescient enough to spot the upcoming cycle and crash… Isn’t that what a businessman **should** be doing if he’s good at it? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/8 "2008-10-17T02:45:43Z")
While there were abuses among short-sellers, they actually do perform a service in identifying companies that deserve closer scrutiny. The ban on short-selling was only intended as a short-term moratorium. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/9 "2008-10-17T02:52:52Z")
Although I do think that they need to start enforcing rules against naked short selling and the uptick rules. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-george-soros-making-billions-out-of-this-stock-market-crash/468184/10 "2008-10-17T03:01:11Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Although I do think that they need to start enforcing rules against naked short selling and the uptick rules. Agreed. And also agreed as to the 😕 of why **ralph124c** is specifically concerned about Soros when any number of top-rank speculators could play the same game, and even further, as\*\* ultrafilter \*\*mentions, of why would it be so suspicious to have a runaway market go rollercoaster after hastily-slapped-together, pray-it-works measures are attempted.