Michael Burry's Bearish Bets: What's the Play?

author:Adaradar Published on:2025-11-04

Title: Michael Burry's Bearish Bets: Is He Right About the AI Bubble, or Is He Missing the Point?

Michael Burry, the guy who made a killing betting against the housing market back in '08, is at it again. This time, he's got his eye on AI, specifically Nvidia and Palantir. News just dropped that his Scion Asset Management has taken out massive put options against both companies – five million on Palantir, one million on Nvidia, according to Whale Wisdom. That's a serious chunk of change riding on these stocks going south. Is he right? Is the AI hype a bubble about to burst? Or is Burry, as Elon Musk once quipped, just a broken clock?

Burry himself isn't mincing words. He's back on X (formerly Twitter), posting cryptic warnings about an AI bubble, even changing his profile name to "Cassandra Unchained," a clear signal he thinks he's seeing something everyone else is ignoring. He even referenced the movie "WarGames," suggesting the only winning move might be not to play at all. But is that really the case?

Section: Beyond the Bubble - Seeing the Signal

Here’s the thing: Burry is brilliant, no question. But even brilliant people can miss the forest for the trees. He's looking at charts, comparing cloud growth from 2018-2022 to today, pointing to AI deals between Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, and the like, and seeing parallels to the dot-com bubble. He sees AI capex matching the tech spending of the late '90s, early 2000s. And sure, those charts might look scary. But what if this time is different? What if this isn't just hype, but the dawn of something truly transformative?

I mean, think about it. We're not just talking about faster websites or better targeted ads. We're talking about a fundamental shift in how we live, work, and interact with the world. AI has the potential to revolutionize everything from healthcare to education to transportation. It's like the shift from horses to cars, or from candlelight to electricity, but on steroids. The speed of this is just staggering—it means the gap between today and tomorrow is closing faster than we can even comprehend.

And while I respect Burry's skepticism, I can't help but feel he's underestimating the sheer disruptive power of AI. He's betting against Nvidia, a company at the very heart of this revolution, the provider of the shovels in this AI gold rush. And Palantir, well, they're building the operating systems for the new AI-driven world. These aren't just companies riding a wave; they're creating the wave. Michael Burry Is Super-Bearish On Palantir — With 5 Million Puts - Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR)

Michael Burry's Bearish Bets: What's the Play?

He's also betting for Halliburton and Pfizer... which on the surface feel like "safe" value investments, but feel like they are anchored to an older way of doing things, and may not be positioned for a future where AI changes the very game they're playing.

When I first saw the demo of the new Nvidia chips, I honestly just sat back in my chair, speechless. That’s what got me into this field in the first place, the feeling that we’re on the cusp of something incredible.

Of course, there's a valid concern about the ethical implications. AI’s exponential growth brings challenges—algorithmic bias, job displacement, and the potential for misuse. We need to ensure these powerful tools are developed and deployed responsibly. But that doesn't mean we should shut down the whole endeavor. It just means we need to be thoughtful, deliberate, and proactive in addressing the risks.

And what about the community sentiment? I took a quick peek at some Reddit threads, and while there are always naysayers, there's also a palpable sense of excitement, a belief that AI is going to solve some of humanity's biggest problems. People are talking about personalized medicine, climate change solutions, and even curing diseases. It's a wave of optimism that's hard to ignore.

The Real Question: Are We Ready?

So, is Burry right? Maybe. Bubbles do happen. But maybe, just maybe, this time it's different. Maybe we're not just seeing hype, but the genuine beginnings of a new era, an era where AI transforms our world in ways we can only begin to imagine. The real question isn't whether AI is overhyped, but whether we're ready for the changes it will bring. Because if we can harness its power responsibly, the possibilities are truly limitless.

A Glimpse of Limitless Potential