The "Wizards" of Short Selling

Someone at BusinessWeek recently decided that short sellers are hot, and something should be done to acknowledge that hotness beyond staring into the dreamy eyes of (a picture of) David EinPorn and self-gratifying. But it's hard to write an article with only one hand so they went with a slideshow instead. It's called "The Wizards of Short Selling," which is apt because while long investing involves diligent research and fundamental analysis, short selling involves immersing oneself in the dark arts and sacrificing live goats following a bestial ceremony.

All the usual suspects are there (a group of people who, when the moon is full, show up to their respective trading floors in full attire, i.e. robes and those pointy hats with the stars). You've got your Tice, you're got your Paulson, you've got your Einhorn, you've got your Ackman, and of course you've got your Chanos. Additionally, you've got your deceased Winslow Jones, who is often summoned in candle-lit Ouija board sessions. Sadly, a few pretty important names o' the short selling game were left off the list, which we've taken the liberty of including after the jump.

Merlin: best known for shorting the Mongolian yak market at the end of Attila the Hun's reign; pair trade going long English market and short French market ahead of Waterloo; Whole Foods.

Dumbeldore: VCRs.

David Blaine: watch and learn (lookin' at you, Ackman).

The Wizards of Short Selling [BusinessWeek]