Bill Bryson on Ray Dalio’s Big Leap: Selling, Predictions & Gold—Oh My!

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Once upon a time in the world of billionaire wizardry, Ray Dalio—who’s been wandering the financial realm for over fifty years—has dropped his toast in the butter and sold the last crumbs of his stake in Bridgewater Associates, a hedge fund colossus he brewed up in a two-bedroom apartment back in 1975. Yes, amid the chaos of Wall Street’s rollercoaster, Dalio has finally decided to hang up his trading gloves and step off the board with a flourish, probably while humming the tune of “Goodbye, Old Friend.”

As if to make things interesting, Bridgewater proceeded to gift a sizable slice of its pie—nearly 20%—to the sovereign wealth fund of Brunei in a deal so multibillion-dollar that even the calculators needed a break. Imagine that: from a humble apartment to global riches, with a pit stop in Brunei. Classic travel itinerary for financial institutions, really.

Dalio, not one to shy from announcing life’s most profound truths on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, took to X to proclaim his delight at passing the baton: “I love seeing Bridgewater alive and well without me — even better than alive and well with me.” Well, there’s your feel-good story of the day—who knew billionaire goodbyes could be so touching? 🎩✨

Dalio’s dark horse prophecy: “Worse than a recession” — and then some

This move marks the sunset of Dalio’s saga at the firm he built from scratch. At 75, and with a history of fortune-telling, he’s forecasted everything from the 2008 financial crash (remember that?) to an even more spectacular implosion predicted for late 2024: a global debt crisis so ominous, it makes Voldemort’s return look like a minor inconvenience.

“When a country is overloaded with debt,” Dalio tweets in a tone that sounds a lot like Nostradamus after one too many coffees, “the preferred path is to lower rates and devalue the currency, so it is worth betting that this is exactly what will happen.” Basically, if you like your money disappearing faster than soap in the shower, keep an eye on those economic trends.

He’s also warning that Uncle Sam’s economy might suffer an “economic heart attack” unless Uncle Sam cuts that budget deficit down to a tidy 3% of GDP. Good luck with that—if you want to see a nation hold its breath, just wait for the government to agree on budget cuts! 🏦💥

Gold, Bitcoin & the Great Hedge-athlon

If you thought Dalio was all doom and gloom, think again. Besides predicting more financial fireworks, he’s also pitching Roman-style armor for your wallet: Bitcoin and gold. He’s gone from recommending up to 2% to a hearty 15% of your investments in these shiny survival tools, explaining that Bitcoin might just be “one hell of an invention”—which is a polite way of saying, “Hey, I might lose quite a bit, but the thrill’s worth it.”

In his 2021 masterpiece “What I Think of Bitcoin,” Dalio famously remarked that Bitcoin is akin to a long-dated option on a future so unpredictable that losing 80% of your money might just be part of the plan. The plot thickens: he owns some Bitcoin but still prefers good old gold—probably because gold isn’t quite as volatile as a rollercoaster built by wizards on a sugar rush.

“Bitcoin looks like a long-duration option on a highly unknown future that I could put an amount of money in that I wouldn’t mind losing about 80% of.”

Dalio’s Doomsday, a bit of a dud?

Now, don’t get me wrong: Dalio’s reputation as a market oracle is fairly shiny, especially after calling the 2008 crisis. Still, he’s had his facepalm moments—one notable blunder in 1982 when he predicted a depression that turned out to be more of a “let’s see what happens” scenario, nearly bankrupting his own firm. You’d think after that he’d be a little more circumspect about future doomsday forecasts, but hey, who doesn’t like a good fairy tale?

Critics, who are ever eager to point out Dalio’s forecasting flaws, remind everyone that his crystal ball sometimes fogs over with overgeneralizations, confirmation bias, and a total lack of timing. So take his predictions with a pinch of salt, or perhaps a whole salt shaker—your choice.

And there you have it—Dalio, the seer of markets, the seller of stakes, and the collector of gold and Bitcoin, all wrapped up in the wild, unpredictable ride that is modern economics. Hold onto your wallets! 🚀💸

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2025-08-01 14:06