One billion dollars, 12.69 million ounces of silver. This man made a huge profit by betting on precious metals a year in advance!

Silver has broken through the historical barrier of $100 per ounce for the first time in history, and behind this epic surge, an astonishing bet by a tech entrepreneur is coming to light. While silver prices were still hovering in the $30 range, someone quietly built up a $1 billion position in physical precious metals, with potential floating profits now exceeding 250%. David Bateman, founder of Entrata, revealed in early 2025 that he had purchased "close to $1 billion in precious metals" over the past six months, including 12.69 million ounces of silver, equivalent to 1.5% of the annual global silver supply. This is a massive physical bet similar in scale to Warren Buffet's silver investment in the late 1990s. Bateman's trading logic is based on the belief that the global monetary system is on the verge of collapse. He believes that the largest credit bubble in history is about to burst, with the U.S. needing to refinance $28 trillion in maturing national debt over the next four years, leading to massive currency printing, accelerated by Trump's tariff policies. On Friday, silver skyrocketed to a historic high of over $100 per ounce, while gold approached the $5000 per ounce mark. Rick Privorotsky, head of Goldman Sachs' Delta One division, pointed out that while fund flows indicate some speculative participation, the DRIVE remains structural. He emphasized that gold is primarily a central bank trade, reflecting a slow erosion of the dollar's excessive privilege, rather than a sudden loss of confidence. This view echoes Bateman's perspective on the long-term restructuring of the monetary system. $1 billion in physical bets David Bateman revealed on the social media platform X in early 2025 that he had purchased close to $1 billion in precious metals over the past six months, including 12.69 million ounces of silver, which is equivalent to 1.5% of the global annual silver supply. Bateman had previously shared images of silver bars loaded on heavy pallets, describing it as a "once-in-a-lifetime transaction." After silver prices jumped above $100 on Friday, Bateman congratulated everyone on X, saying, "Congratulations on silver breaking a hundred. These slightly autistic misfits are really lucky." Although he did not disclose the specific cost basis at the time, based on the timing of his position (around October 2024 when silver prices were $30 per ounce), the unrealized profit of this transaction may already exceed 250%. Nine reasons support extreme allocation Bateman gave nine reasons to support this massive physical precious metals investment, forming a complete doomsday hedging logic: The global monetary system is on the verge of collapse, what he calls the "Great Reset" or "Basel Endgame." The largest credit bubble in history is about to burst, reaching $300 trillion in scale. The U.S. cannot refinance $28 trillion in maturing national debt over the next four years without massive currency printing. Trump's tariff policies are accelerating the collapse process, and this is intentional. Gold and silver are the only meaningful lifeboats, and physical holding is crucial. The current global situation is a game of musical chairs, where the chairs are precious metals. He believes cryptocurrency is a psychological battle, and buyers will have no chairs to sit on when the music stops. Real estate, cryptocurrency, stocks, and bonds will all depreciate significantly compared to precious metals. The banking system is carefully designed to confiscate assets to support the collapsing banking industry, while precious metals have no counterparty risk. Buffett's silver story The breakthrough of silver to $100 brings to mind Buffett's similar bet in the late 1990s. Berkshire Hathaway accumulated 129.7 million ounces of physical silver, equivalent to 4,000 metric tons, before the internet bubble burst. The position was liquidated around 2006, bringing substantial profits to Berkshire. Analysts point out that while Bateman's trading volume may not be as high in ounces as Buffett's at the time, the $1 billion investment amount is equally impressive at current price levels. More importantly, this is a completely physical bet, reflecting extreme caution about counterparty risk in the financial system. This article was reproduced from Wall Street News; GMTEight Editor: Xiao Yi Chen.