Before the 2008 financial crisis crash, that legendary big short was called a fraud for over two years. Michael Burry spent years being labeled a fraud, then made $725 million. July 2005: Secured $750 million in CDS through Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, UBS, and Merrill Lynch. October 2005: His short position reached $1 billion, and his own investors called him crazy. Lawyers got involved, so he locked withdrawals. 2007: The housing market collapsed. 2008: Every investor who threatened to sue him made $725 million. For two years before the crash, he was insulted daily and under immense psychological pressure.