Economist Peter Schiff has publicly criticized “The Big Short” fame investor Steve Eisman for dismissing both gold investments and U.S. national debt concerns during a recent media interaction. The exchange highlights growing tensions among financial experts over monetary policy and fiscal sustainability.
What Happened: Schiff wrote on X that Eisman’s stance reveals “incredible irony.” During the CNBC interview, Eisman stated he’s “not a gold guy” and doesn’t monitor gold markets closely. He also expressed confidence in U.S. Treasuries, arguing he’s not worried about the $36.22 trillion national debt “so long as the world doesn’t have an alternative to Treasuries.”
The criticism comes as gold trades near $2,360 per ounce after pulling back from recent highs, while Treasury yields remain elevated with the 10-year note at 4.45% and 20-year bonds yielding 4.95%. Recent Moody’s credit rating concerns have pushed 30-year Treasury yields to near 5%, levels not seen since October 2023.
Why It Matters: Eisman, former senior portfolio manager at Neuberger Berman Group Inc. and current host of “The Real Eisman Playbook” podcast, gained fame for profiting from the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis.
During his interview, he expressed caution about current markets, citing tariff uncertainties as his primary concern while maintaining positions in mega-cap technology stocks.
When challenged on social media about investment performance comparisons, one user noted that Eisman’s subprime short generated over $1 billion compared to potential gold returns of $40-80 million during the same period. However, Schiff countered that current conditions present different opportunities, calling U.S. dollars and Treasuries “the next big short.”
Schiff defended his macro analysis expertise, noting he also participated in subprime shorting but maintains “a much better understanding of global macro” dynamics.
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