The Oracle Who Called the 2008 Crash Just Broke 2 Years of Silence—And It's Not Good News

Michael Burry, the legendary investor who predicted the subprime mortgage crisis, has finally resurfaced after going dark for two years. His message? Cryptic, but alarming.

On Friday, Burry posted a still from “The Big Short” featuring Christian Bale staring at a screen in disbelief, captioning it: “Sometimes we can see a bubble. Sometimes we can do something about it. Sometimes the only way to win is not to play.”

The reference is from the 1983 film “WarGames,” where an AI system simulates thousands of nuclear war scenarios only to conclude they all end in mutual destruction. Translation: Burry thinks we’re staring down a catastrophic speculative bubble—and his move? Sit on the sidelines and watch.

What’s the target?

While Burry didn’t name names, most are pointing fingers at the AI boom. Nvidia alone has surged over 1,200% since 2023, hitting a $5 trillion market cap this week. The entire tech sector is riding this wave to new S&P 500 and Nasdaq highs.

The pattern nobody’s ignoring

Burry just updated his X profile to “Unbound Cassandra”—the mythical priestess cursed to see the future but never be believed. His banner? Jan Brueghel the Younger’s famous “Satire of Tulip Mania,” depicting history’s first recorded asset bubble. Last time he pulled this move in November 2021? The Nasdaq peaked three months later and crashed into a bear market.

The call record

Burry’s track record is mixed. He nailed 2008. But in summer 2021, he called the market “the greatest speculative bubble of all time,” predicting a “mother of all crashes” for meme stocks and crypto—and got roasted by Elon Musk for being “a broken clock.” Early 2023, he posted a single word: “Sell.” Then quietly admitted he’d misjudged. That kind of public L-taking? Rare on Wall Street.

So is Burry right this time, or is he just the boy who cried wolf again? Markets will decide.