Famed activist short seller Carson Block pulls no punches as he takes aim at Canada, Jack Ma and the U.S. pharmaceutical industry in this interview with Brian Price. Block, who serves as CIO of Muddy Waters Research, discusses the red flags he looks for when hunting for fraud, and reveals which companies are currently on his radar. Carson also touches on how his line of work has led to both tremendous success and death threats. Filmed December 4, 2018 in New York.
Is There a Big Short in Bitcoin?
Trading activity has grown in CME’s bitcoin futures in recent months, along with the rebound in the cryptocurrency’s price
Other large traders were even more bearish. “Other reportables”—a loose category of firms that don’t necessarily manage money for outside investors—held more than three times as many short positions in bitcoin futures as long ones, the CFTC report shows.
So who is the optimist? The report shows it is mostly small investors taking the other side of the trade. Among traders with fewer than 25 bitcoin contracts, a category that likely captures many individuals placing bets in bitcoin, long wagers outnumbered short bets by 4 to 1.
Working to Lower Drug Costs by Challenging Questionable Patents
Through the Coalition for Affordable Drugs, a company they formed this year, Mr. Bass and Mr. Spangenberg identify pharmaceutical patents that they consider weak or abusive. Then they request that a unit of the United States Patent and Trademark Office review the legitimacy of the patents.
By mid-November, the firm had filed 33 requests for patent reviews, targeting 13 drugs from a dozen companies.