25 Biggest Activist Short Sellers in the Hedge Fund World

6. Kynikos Associates (James Chanos)

Kynikos Associates is a New York-based hedge fund that runs several funds, including those short selling oriented. It was launched back in 1985 by now famous activist short seller, James Chanos, who mostly targets publicly traded companies with fraudulent accounting activities. He gained popularity by targeting merchant bank Enron, which ended up being the main topic of a book and documentary called The Smartest Guys in the Room. Around 13 months after James Chanos initiated his short position, the company filed for bankruptcy. According to Institutional Investor, it is an open secret that James Chanos’ Twitter alter ego is Diogenes, who is “searching for honesty on the Street”. Diogenes often tweets about the companies he is shorting.