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Legendary short seller Jim Chanos, who has decided to convert his hedge funds to a family office after nearly four decades, said he remains a firm believer in short-selling in this era of rampant corporate wrongdoings. “Make no mistake, the ‘Golden Age of Fraud’ is still in full force,” Chanos said in an investor letter dated Friday where he announced Chanos & Co. will return almost $5 billion of profits to investors since the firm’s inception by Dec. 31. In his final message to investors, the short seller best known for his bet against Enron before its bankruptcy in 2001, said there are still more than enough short opportunities for investors. Last year, Chanos revealed that brick-and-mortar data centers, such as Digital Realty Trust and Equinix, were his “big short” as these companies face competition from Big Tech that used to be their customers. “We believe that there remain plentiful opportunities on the short side – including in data centers and REITs – for those who roll up their sleeves and have the patience for the effects of corporate wrongdoing to come to roost and valuations to normalize in a world of higher interest rates and increased dispersion amongst companies,” Chanos said in the letter. Chanos has also bet against Tesla and Coinbase in recent years, but these positions turned out to be volatile and tough at times. The founder of Chanos & Co. said Coinbase runs an unsustainable model as it makes money from increased commission rates for retail investors. For Tesla, he was bearish because of rising competition in the electric vehicle market, especially in China. The investor said his firm will continue offering investors “bespoke advice on fundamental short ideas and portfolios as well as the occasional profitable macro insight.” Assets managed by Chanos & Co. have come down significantly, declining to a level below $200 million, compared to $6 billion in 2008, according to The Wall Street Journal , which first reported on the short seller’s decision. “It is no secret that the long/short equity business model has come under pressure and interest in fundamental stock pickers has waned,” Chanos wrote in the letter. — CNBC’s Scott Wapner contributed reporting.
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