A number of smart investors made money from the crisis, mostly by picking up pieces from the wreckage. Warren Buffett invested billions in companies including Goldman Sachs and General Electric out of a mix of motives that combined patriotism and profit. Hedge fund manager John Paulson made a lot of money betting against the U.S. housing market when the bubble formed, and then made a lot more money betting on its recovery after it hit bottom. Investor Carl Icahn proved his market-timing talent by selling and buying casino properties before, during, and after the crisis.