A stock market visionary and billionaire has revealed the shocking financial move he would make if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential election.
John Paulson, known for his lucrative bet against subprime mortgages in 2007, said Tuesday he would divest all of his assets if the Democratic nominee wins.
“I think if Harris were elected, I would take my money out of the market,” he said he said on Fox Business’s The Claman Countdown.
“I would move into cash and gold because I think the uncertainty around the plans they have outlined would create a lot of uncertainty in the markets and probably lower markets.”
The founder of Paulson & Co., whose net worth is estimated at $3.8 billion, went on to explain that he believes Harris’ tax policies will scare off investors, resulting in a “pretty quick recession.”
John Paulson, the billionaire founder of Paulson & Co. known for his lucrative bet against subprime mortgages in 2007, announced Tuesday that he would divest his assets from the stock market if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential election.
Paulson explained to Fox Business host Liz Claman that Trump and Harris’ economic plans are very different, noting that the former president wants to extend his 2017 tax cuts, while Harris wants to let them expire.
“Trump’s policies worked out better for the average American,” argued the investor, a major Trump backer who has been mentioned as a potential Treasury secretary.
During the Trump administration, average real wages rose by six and a half percent, Paulson said.
He also noted that Harris has proposed raising the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent and that he wants to raise the capital gains rate from 20 percent to 28 percent.
She has also proposed a 25 percent tax on unrealized gains for individuals earning $100 million or more, a move that would put a big dent in the profits of big investors.
If the 25 percent tax increase were to pass, Paulson said, “it would lead to a sell-off of almost everything — stocks, bonds, houses, art.
“I think it would result in a crash in the markets and an immediate, fairly rapid recession,” Paulson warned.
Paulson told Fox Business host Liz Claman that he fears Harris’ tax policies could scare off investors
However, Claman pointed out that some people who were concerned about former President Barack Obama’s economic policies pulled their money out of the market when he was elected, which backfired as stock prices continued to perform well.
Paulson then said that market timing and investor timing would make the difference in the markets if Harris were elected.
But he still said he didn’t want to take the risk and wanted to sell his shares.
His comments come just days after JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said he did not rule out the possibility of the U.S. economy ending up in worse than a recession.
The CEO of the country’s largest bank said this week that “stagflation is the worst source of income” and that he would “not dismiss it.”
Harris has proposed raising the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, and wants to raise the capital gains rate from 20 percent to 28 percent
Economists consider stagflation, last seen in the U.S. in the 1970s, to be worse than a recession. It would send stock prices plummeting, hitting 401(k)s and other retirement savings plans.
Stagflation is the combination of economic deer-nation and in-inflation. Prices continue to rise, while unemployment rises and economic growth slows, creating a triple whammy.
During a recession, unemployment rises and the economy shrinks. The good news is that there is little to no inflation.
Dimon worries that there are still a lot of inflationary forces looming, pointing out that higher deficits and increased government spending will add pressure to an economy still struggling with the impact of persistently higher interest rates.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has said he is not ruling out the possibility of stagflation, which economists consider worse than a recession
JPMorgan Chase CEO previously warned of an economic slowdown, saying he did not rule out a “hard landing” for the US economy.
A ‘hard landing’ occurs when there is a clear economic slowdown after a period of rapid growth.
Other economists have predicted that the US is headed for a “soft landing,” which has happened only once before.
This rare slowdown occurs when inflation returns to the Fed’s 2 percent target without triggering a recession.
However, Dimon said in August that he estimates the chance of that happening at 35 to 40 percent, CNBC reported, implying that a recession is more likely.
Economists speculate the US is on the brink of a recession, and Paulson argues Harris’ tax policies could be the tipping point
Amid speculation about a looming recession, Republicans have been preoccupied with economic issues ahead of the November elections.
Earlier this month, a pro-Trump super PAC released an ad telling voters they would face an economic storm if Harris were elected president, using a roller coaster metaphor to depict her hurtling down the track.
The Web ad features dizzying images of a standing roller coaster that echoes some of Harris’ previous statements on the economy and features the vice president and Joe Biden of ‘fooling us.’
As the ‘Kamala roller coaster’ descends to ominous music, Harris warns of the worst inflation in 40 years and ‘creating an affordability crisis in groceries, gas and housing.’
Harris then says “Bidenomics is working” — an attempt to link her to the unpopular Biden, as voters tell pollsters they want change.
“As president, she wants to raise your taxes, pass a Green New Deal and continue Joe Biden’s failed economic policies,” a narrator says.
The commercial ends with an appeal to “get off this roller coaster before it’s too late,” with an unsubtle visual for anyone who doesn’t like getting dizzy: a steep drop with people on the coaster clearly audible and screaming.
Goldman Sachs has argued that Harris would be better for the economy than former President Donald Trump
Goldman Sachs, however, takes a different view, arguing that Harris would be better for the economy if she defeated Trump.
A Democratic victory would create about 30,000 more jobs per month than a Republican victory, a new analysis from the bank shows.
The Wall Street giant also believes Harris’ plans to help America’s middle class and small businesses will increase consumer spending, which will benefit the economy as a whole.
According to the report, that boost would outweigh the negative consequences of possible higher taxes on the wealthy and big business.
“A Harris presidency could be beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses as the focus seems to be on fiscal policies that provide support through tax breaks and subsidies for start-ups,” Javier Molina, senior market analyst at eToro, told DailyMail.com.
Harris is also expected to lead to more job creation than Trump, especially if it is coupled with fiscal stimulus and expanded tax credits. This could lead to moderate job growth, boosting sectors like renewable energy and infrastructure,” Molina explained.
The bank argued that if Trump wins the election, inflation will rise again and economic output will take a hit in 2025
In contrast, if Trump wins, inflation will rise and economic output will take a hit in 2025, a report from Goldman Sachs found.
The blow would be the result of the much stricter immigration policies that Trump advocates and the higher import tariffs that the former president has threatened.
“We estimate that if Trump wins overwhelmingly or with a divided government, the impact on growth from tariffs and tighter immigration policies will outweigh the positive fiscal boost,” the bank’s report said.
Higher tariffs on goods such as electric cars from China, Mexico and the EU would push up core inflation, the banks said.
Economists see immigration as an engine of growth because immigrants tend to be younger and therefore boost the labor market and spending.
Goldman argues that cutting immigration in the way Trump wants to do would turn off the country’s growth engines, which would be detrimental to the country’s profitability.