David Tepper Appaloosa

David Tepper made $7.6 billion in a single year. 2012. His fund Appaloosa management returned over 50% buying assets nobody else would touch. The pattern repeated across three decades, earning Tepper an average annual return exceeding 25% since 1993. The strategy was concentrated, contrarian investing during maximum fear. When Bank of America traded at $3 during the 2009 financial crisis, analysts debated whether the entire banking system would collapse. Tepper bought. His thesis was simple. The government had guaranteed bank survival through TARP and the Federal Reserve's balance sheet. Downside was capped by policy. Upside was unlimited by market panic. Bank of America returned over 400% within 18 months.