The 2007–2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was an unprecedented event that had long-lasting impacts worldwide. This disastrous time resulted in many innocents losing their jobs, the savings they kept for emergencies, their homes, or all of these together. However, it created a new landscape for investing, and some people were able to take advantage of it to make extraordinary profits.

Here are five investors who profited from the GFC:

1. Warren Buffett

The Oracle of Omaha made one of his most famous investments during the GFC, buying up $5 billion in Goldman Sachs stock in 2008 when the company's shares were trading at a sharp discount. Thanks to this move, Buffett made over $2 billion in profit and further cemented his place as one of the world’s most successful investors.

Pixabay/Pexels | Warren Edward Buffett is an American business titan, investor, and philanthropist.

2. George Soros

Billionaire investor George Soros was among the first to recognize ongoing problems with the U.S. housing market in 2007 and bet against subprime mortgage lenders. This decision earned him a reported $3 billion in profits from short-selling stocks during this period.

3. John Paulson

Hedge fund manager John Paulson also recognized early issues with subprime mortgages and leveraged his knowledge by making a series of lucrative bets against them, earning himself an eye-popping $15 billion from 2007 to 2009.

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels | Hedge fund manager John Paulson was one of the first investors to recognize the potential risks associated with subprime mortgage investments.

4. Carl Icahn

Activist investor Carl Icahn made use of purchasing troubled companies at bargain prices during the GFC as he used his financial resources and connections to acquire large stakes in corporations such as Yahoo!, Motorola Solutions, and Chesapeake Energy Corporation at highly discounted prices compared to pre-crisis market values.

These acquisitions saw Icahn turn billions into tens of billions over time thanks to later sales or recoveries when markets bounced back with full force after 2009, which allowed him to realize incredible profits from these deals during the GFC years.

David McBee/Pexels | Carl Icahn utilized his unique strategy of buying troubled companies on the cheap to gain significant profits.

5. Steven Cohen

Hedge fund manager Steven Cohen also made significant gains during the crisis by taking advantage of volatile markets and utilizing quantitative strategies that allowed him to capitalize on various opportunities presented during this time, such as distressed debt and credit default swaps that enabled him to earn substantial returns on investment for his clients totaling more than $16 billion between 2008 and 2010 according to estimates by Institutional Investor Magazine.

Conclusion

These five investors are just some examples of people who were able to take advantage of some unique opportunities presented by market volatility brought about by the Global Financial Crisis and turned them into profits for themselves or their clients. They can serve as inspiring examples for anyone looking for ways to generate wealth through smart investing decisions, especially when markets appear uncertain or unstable due to macroeconomic factors or other uncontrollable forces.