Pending ●●●●●
The passive index-fund "bubble" will end in a crash (no timeline given).
“Like most bubbles, the longer it goes on, the worse the crash will be”Markets
Who gets the future right?
A public record of predictions made by well-known people: their exact words, when they said them, and how things turned out.
Scorecard
| Person | Category | Predictions | Scored | Accurate | Late | Partial | Wrong | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Gore | Politician | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25% |
| Allan Lichtman | Academic | 8 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 79% |
| Anthony Fauci | Scientist | 9 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 69% |
| Bill Gates | Tech leader | 21 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 55% |
| Cathie Wood | Investor | 20 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 38% |
| Dario Amodei | Tech leader | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Donald Trump | Politician | 23 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 21% |
| Ed Yardeni | Market strategist | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 80% |
| Elon Musk | Tech leader | 18 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 22% |
| Eric Schmidt | Tech leader | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 29% |
| Gary Marcus | AI researcher | 12 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Geoffrey Hinton | AI researcher | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Gordon Chang | Commentator | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 33% |
| Harry Dent | Market strategist | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 10% |
| Jack Dorsey | Tech leader | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| James Hansen | Scientist | 11 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Jamie Dimon | Business leader | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 60% |
| Janet Yellen | Policymaker | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 42% |
| Jensen Huang | Tech leader | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Jeremy Siegel | Economist | 11 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 45% |
| Jerome Powell | Policymaker | 15 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 71% |
| Jim Cramer | Commentator | 18 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 15% |
| Joe Biden | Politician | 10 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 67% |
| Kevin Hassett | Economist | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 21% |
| Larry Summers | Economist | 19 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 36% |
| Marc Andreessen | Investor | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 80% |
| Mark Zuckerberg | Tech leader | 16 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 64% |
| Masayoshi Son | Investor | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Michael Burry | Investor | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 38% |
| Michael Saylor | Crypto figure | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25% |
| Michio Kaku | Scientist | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 33% |
| Mohamed El-Erian | Economist | 9 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 50% |
| Nouriel Roubini | Economist | 21 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 35% |
| Paul Ehrlich | Scientist | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0% |
| Paul Krugman | Economist | 17 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 43% |
| Peter Schiff | Investor | 24 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 30% |
| Peter Thiel | Investor | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17% |
| Peter Zeihan | Commentator | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 38% |
| Ray Dalio | Investor | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 40% |
| Ray Kurzweil | Futurist | 23 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 38% |
| Robert Kiyosaki | Commentator | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 21% |
| Sam Altman | Tech leader | 16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 88% |
| Steve Ballmer | Tech leader | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 30% |
| Thomas Friedman | Commentator | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 80% |
| Tom Lee | Market strategist | 10 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 39% |
| Vinod Khosla | Investor | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Vitalik Buterin | Crypto figure | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 70% |
| Yann LeCun | AI researcher | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
Accuracy counts accurate as 1, late or partial as ½, inaccurate as 0. Pending predictions don't count.
Predictions
Pending ●●●●●
Bitcoin's price will eventually fall to zero (inferred window about 10 years, to mid-2029).
“Indeed Bitcoin is now down below 10k. Has lost a third of its value in less than a week. Still a long way to less than zero as its true value is negative not zero given its toxic externalities! It will get to zero in due time.”CryptoMarkets
Accurate ●●●●●
The Fed will raise rates once more in December 2018 and then pause, instead of the three 2019 hikes it projected.
“It's going to be one and done in December. That's what I'm saying is happening”EconomyMarkets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
XRP and the other non-bitcoin cryptocurrencies will all go bust (become essentially worthless).
“XRP, all the other ones, they're all going bust.”CryptoMarkets
Pending ●●●●●
The crypto market as a whole will not see another 1,000-fold price increase (to roughly $200 trillion) in the decade after September 2018.
“There isn't an opportunity for yet another 1,000-times growth in anything in the space anymore.”CryptoMarkets
Accurate ●●●●●
Tesla will be profitable and cash-flow positive in both Q3 and Q4 2018 without raising new capital.
“Tesla will be profitable & cash flow+ in Q3 & Q4, so obv no need to raise money.”MarketsTechnology
Accurate ●●●●●
Tesla stock will reach $4,000 per share (pre-2020-split price; $800 after the 2020 5-for-1 split, about $267 after the 2022 3-for-1 split).
“If we're right, this stock in our models is going to $4,000”MarketsTechnology
Inaccurate ●●●●●
Markets will keep rising through 2018 so that holding cash will badly underperform stocks.
“If you're holding cash, you're going to feel pretty stupid.”Markets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
The Dow will fall to 5,000-5,500 by October 2020.
“We have been bubbling since 2009 – I am projecting that the Dow will go down to 5,000 – 5,500 in the next two to three years”Markets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
After Donald Trump's 2016 election win, stock markets will not recover from their election-night fall.
“If the question is when markets will recover, a first-pass answer is never.”MarketsElections
Inaccurate ●●●●●
The US dollar (Dollar Index then near 99) will crash, with a collapse larger than he had earlier forecast.
“the dollar will crash, just from a higher level, and the collapse will be that much greater now as a result of the huge sucker's rally we've had.”EconomyMarkets
Accurate ●●●●●
Gold (then about $1,060/oz) will eventually reach $5,000 an ounce.
“It's still going to go there”Markets
Right, but late ●●●●●
The Dow Jones Industrial Average will reach 20,000 during 2016.
“I definitely think we will see Dow 20,000 in 2016”Markets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
The Federal Reserve (rates then near zero) will never be able to raise interest rates back up.
“They are in a monetary roach hotel, and they will never be able to raise rates back up.”EconomyMarkets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
Oil prices will rise gradually from about $57 (WTI) over the 18 months to end-2016.
“I think that, over the next year and a half, gradually all [oil] prices are going to go higher.”EnergyMarkets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
Oil prices will not return to $100 a barrel (long-run claim, inferred window about 10 years to 2025).
“But we're not going to go back to a world of... $100 per barrel.”EnergyMarkets
Accurate ●●●●●
The Dow Jones Industrial Average will rise above 18,000 within six to seven weeks of November 11, 2014 (by about December 30, 2014).
“I believe the next six or seven weeks are going to take us beyond 18,000 on the Dow”Markets
Right, but late ●●●●●
Gold will rise through $2,000 an ounce very quickly (read here as within about a year, by end of 2015).
“it'll go through $2,000 very quickly, and people will be upset that they didn't buy gold at $1,700.”Markets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
After topping near 17,000, the Dow will fall to about 5,800 within a few years of August 2014 (by end of 2017).
“the Dow is going to go to about 17,000 and then a few years from now it is going to test the bottom at about 5,800.”Markets
Accurate ●●●●●
Unless a much better rival displaces it quickly, Bitcoin's network effect will make it the dominant cryptocurrency.
“If something is to displace Bitcoin now, it will have to have sizable improvements and it will have to happen quickly. Otherwise, this network effect will carry Bitcoin to dominance.”CryptoMarkets
Accurate ●●●●●
Johnson & Johnson will sell or spin off its diagnostics business during 2014.
“I bet CEO Alex Gorsky will shed JNJ's slow-growing diagnostics business this year and focus on the faster growing pharma franchise”Markets
Accurate ●●●●●
Gold will fall from about $1,400 to around $1,000 an ounce by the end of 2015.
“and why gold prices are likely to move much lower, toward $1,000 by 2015”Markets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
Gold (then about $1,700/oz) will make a big move up toward $5,000 an ounce by the end of 2014.
“I think you're going to see a big move sometime in the next couple of years.”Markets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
The US Dollar Index (then about 80) will fall by at least half, to 40 or below.
“I think ultimately, the dollar index will be cut in half, at a minimum,”EconomyMarkets
Accurate ●●●●●
The Dow Jones Industrial Average will reach 15,000 by the end of 2013.
“Going to the 15,000 level, which a few months ago people were very skeptical of that, we’re talking about the end of 2013. … Odds are 3-to-2-to-1 on that”Markets
Accurate ●●●●●
The US housing market will hit bottom and turn upward within about a year (by March 2013).
“I believe we’re very close to the inflection point. People look at prices that are still coming down but all the other signs are flashing green,”EconomyMarkets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
The US dollar will collapse, losing 50-70% of its value, before the end of Barack Obama's first term (January 2013).
“I think it will happen before Barack Obama leaves office even if he's only a one-termer. The first initial collapse in the dollar will be about a 50%, 60%, or 70% decline in dollar value.”EconomyMarkets
Right, but late ●●●●●
Gold (then about $1,100/oz) will reach about $5,000 an ounce within the next several years (read as by end of 2016).
“I think $5,000 is a reasonable expectation of where gold is headed over the course of the next several years, based on monetary and fiscal policy that is in place.”Markets
Inaccurate ●●●●●
The S&P 500 index will fall to 600 or below in 2009.
“My main scenario is that it's highly likely it goes to 600 or below,”Markets
Partly right ●●●●●
The U.S. housing market will bottom and turn around on June 30, 2009.
“In fact, I’ll call the precise date of the housing-market turnaround. It will begin on June 30, 2009.”EconomyMarkets