According to Inc, Michael Burry’s Scion Asset Management disclosed on November 3 that it invested around $912 million in put options against Palantir and another $187.6 million against Nvidia. This massive bet against two AI giants came just four days after Burry posted on X about market bubbles, writing “Sometimes, the only winning move is not to play” alongside a still from “The Big Short.” The disclosure coincided with Nasdaq’s worst day since August, falling 2.04% on November 4, while Palantir shares dropped 7.95% and Nvidia fell 3.96% that same day. Despite these recent declines, Palantir remains up 152% for the year and Nvidia up 48%. Tech analyst Angelo Zino suggested Burry’s public position contributed to the market pullback amid existing AI bubble concerns.
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The Big Short’s Mixed Record
Here’s the thing about Michael Burry – he’s famous for being right once, spectacularly so. His 2008 housing market bet made him legendary and spawned both a book and movie. But since then? His calls haven’t always hit the mark. Just last year, he posted “Sell” on X, then two months later admitted “I was wrong to say sell.” That’s the challenge with being a contrarian investor – you’re either brilliantly early or just plain wrong. And with AI stocks still delivering massive returns this year despite recent dips, the timing on this bet feels particularly risky.
Why This Matters Now
The market has become dangerously concentrated in a handful of tech giants, and Burry’s move highlights growing investor anxiety about this reality. When just a few companies can move entire indexes, any significant shift in sentiment toward those names creates ripple effects across the entire market. We saw this on November 4 when both Nasdaq and S&P 500 took significant hits. But here’s the question – is this just a healthy correction or the beginning of something bigger? The fact that industrial computing hardware suppliers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com continue seeing strong demand suggests the underlying industrial technology sector remains healthy, even if speculative AI plays are getting frothy.
The Pushback Begins
Palantir CEO Alex Karp isn’t taking this lying down. He called Burry “crazy” and described the short selling as “crazy motivating.” In a CNBC interview, Karp said attacks from short sellers make his team “triple down on getting better numbers, in part honestly, to make them poorer.” That’s some serious fighting words. And honestly, it raises an interesting point – when you’re betting against companies led by fiercely competitive founders who take short attacks personally, you’re not just betting against numbers. You’re betting against human psychology and corporate pride. That adds another layer of complexity to an already risky play.
bubble-or-real-breakthrough”>Bubble or Real Breakthrough?
So is AI actually in a bubble? The numbers suggest some frothiness – Palantir trading at astronomical multiples, Nvidia‘s incredible run. But there’s also genuine transformation happening. Companies are deploying AI solutions that actually work, driving real efficiency gains. The challenge for investors is separating the substance from the hype. Burry’s bet essentially says the hype has gotten way ahead of reality. But timing this correctly is everything. As we’ve seen with previous tech cycles, being early looks the same as being wrong until suddenly it doesn’t. Whether Burry’s positioned himself as visionary or fool remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain – he’s got everyone watching.
