Portrait of John Paulson

Rank #1056

John Paulson

Net worth $4.0B

Hedge funds · United States

Born
Dec 14, 1955
Age
70
Source
Hedge funds
Residence
New York, New York
Citizenship
United States
Marital status
Separated
Children
2
Education
Master of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; Bachelor of Arts/Science, New York University

Net worth over time

Biography

  • John Paulson made his fortune betting against subprime mortgages at the peak of the 2007 credit bubble.
  • His hedge fund firm, Paulson & Co., was started in 1994 and enjoyed success as a niche fund until Paulson put on his "big short" in 2007.
  • In 2020, Paulson announced that he would be returning capital to investors and converting his hedge fund into a family office.
  • A Queens native, Paulson had stints at several firms, including Boston Consulting Group and Bear Stearns, before founding Paulson & Co.
  • Paulson has given $400 million to Harvard University, where he received an MBA, and $100 million to his undergraduate alma mater New York University.