John Alfred Paulson is an American businessman, the self-made billionaire Founder and former Head of Paulson & Co., a major hedge fund firm. Born in Queens, New York City, in 1955, his father's family were Ecuadorian immigrants of French and Norwegian descent who changed their surname from Paulsen to Paulson.

Paulson's education is elite: he graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from NYU in 1978 and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1980 (graduating as a George F. Baker Scholar, top 5 percent). His career began with high-level roles at Boston Consulting Group and Bear Stearns. His philosophy centers on contrarian, event-driven investment, recognizing market inefficiencies and betting against popular sentiment.

• Paulson & Co. (Founder & Former Head): The core private asset, the hedge fund firm renowned for the 'Big Short' bet against the U.S. subprime mortgage lending market in 2007.
• Financial Apex: He earned almost $4 billion in 2007 from the bet, transforming him from an obscure money manager into a financial legend.
• Academic Background: He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from NYU.
• Political Focus: He is a major Republican political donor and a long-time supporter of Donald Trump.

John Paulson founded Paulson & Co. in 1994, initially as a niche fund focusing on merger arbitrage. His strategic genius was his contrarian foresight regarding the U.S. housing market bubble. In 2007, he executed the 'Big Short' trade, using credit default swaps to effectively bet against the subprime mortgage lending market. The success of this bet earned him almost $4 billion in a single year, a record at the time, and secured his multi-billion dollar fortune.

In 2020, Paulson announced he was returning capital to investors and converting his hedge fund into a family office, focusing on managing his personal wealth. His immense wealth is tied to the long-term, superior returns generated by his macro-event-driven investment strategies.

John Paulson's social impact is structural, tied to his role in exposing the fragilities of the U.S. financial system leading up to the 2008 crisis. His profound philanthropic contributions focus on education and healthcare: he has donated $400 million to Harvard University and $100 million to New York University (NYU) (his alma maters), funding significant endowments.

His structural contribution is tied to his belief in contrarian analysis and his use of financial instruments (CDSs) to manage risk and generate high returns.

John Paulson maintains the professional, composed style of a financial executive. His attire is consistently bespoke, favoring dark, tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects stability and immense financial authority, typical of a leader in the secretive hedge fund world.

Residing in New York City, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to investment strategy, political influence, and large-scale academic philanthropy.