• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
Finance

This Famous Debt Investor Is Bullish on Donald Trump Winning the Election

By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 4, 2016, 5:16 PM ET
Photograph by Scott Eells — Bloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The annual Sohn Investment Conference, held at New York’s Lincoln Center Wednesday, is more about picking stocks than presidents. In his 20-minute presentation at the event, DoubleLine Capital CEO Jeffrey Gundlach managed to do both.

The legendary bond investor whom Bloomberg annointed the “new bond king” last year began his presentation talking about art, negative interest rates and historic campaign slogans. Flipping through slides of presidential candidates’ tag lines (“Feel the Bern,” for example) interspersed between slides about the economy, Gundlach meandered his investing advice, which was simple: “My investment recommendation is you sell the utility index that has been flocked to and go long mortgage REITs, which haven’t done very well.”

But the mortgage bet was hardly the main point of Gundlach’s presentation, which he segued to by saying, “Let’s go back to politics and slogans that are absolutely the opposite of what people are about.” After running through the current presidential election’s erstwhile GOP candidates (once suggesting that Jeb Bush’s “Jeb!” campaign slogan would have been better as “WTF?” then pointing out Ted Cruz’s resemblance to Grandpa Munster), Gundlach ventured his own prediction for the presidential election.

“I think Trump is going to win,” Gundlach said. “I just have a feeling that he’s going to win. I think you need to prepare for a Trump presidency.”

It’s not the first time Gundlach has expressed his bullishness on a Donald Trump victory in the 2016 presidential election, but his forecast takes on much greater weight now that the other Republican candidates, John Kasich and Cruz, have dropped out of the race in the last 24 hours. In March, Gundlach said “You have to entertain the hypothetical,” of a Trump presidency. That was after he told Bloomberg in February that he “kind of” thought Donald Trump would win, “but I find it hard to believe.”

Now, Gundlach has much more conviction in his President Trump prediction, and he made his case at the conference as he might for an investment recommendation.

Addressing concerns that Trump isn’t a true Republican or conservative enough, Gundlach explained that he puts Donald in a political category to the far right of the GOP, which he called “the reactionaries.” “‘Make America great again’ is a reactionary statement,” Gundlach said, referencing Trump’s campaign motto. He then likened Trump to 1980s Republican president Ronald Reagan: “People say [Trump] is not really conservative, but look at Reagan,” Gundlach said, in front of a slide showing Reagan’s ‘80 election campaign button, bearing the tagline, “Let’s Make America Great Again.”

“Trump has a gift for finding the soft spot in people and exploiting it pretty effectively,” Gundlach continued. While he didn’t actually endorse Trump for president or say who he personally would vote for, he also criticized Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, saying her campaign logo, with an arrow to the right, was apt: “With Hillary you’re going sideways.”

All of that, of course, was Gundlach’s long way of getting back to discussing his bread and butter—debt. Posting a slide of U.S. debt to GDP ratios, Gundlach offered his main punchline for betting on Trump for president: “Let’s face it, Donald Trump is extremely comfortable with debt.”

Despite all Trump’s promises to slash the nation’s trillions of dollars debt, Gundlach thinks President Donald would actually end up increasing the U.S. deficit, inevitably taking on more debt to spur economic growth. “I say this is going to go higher,” Gundlach said.

About the Author
By Jen Wieczner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Those bots sending discounts to your email is dynamic pricing in action. Get revenge on those bots by abandoning your cart
RetailConsumer Spending
Those bots sending discounts to your email is dynamic pricing in action. Get revenge on those bots by abandoning your cart
By Catherina GioinoJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Mortgage rates today, July 3, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa was forced to put together a plan to save the Japanese carmaker in just six weeks: ‘I knew what had to be done’ 
AsiaAsia Agenda
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa was forced to put together a plan to save the Japanese carmaker in just six weeks: ‘I knew what had to be done’ 
By Andrew StaplesJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
The World Bank has elevated Vietnam and the Philippines to upper-middle-income status—but now they face ‘a far more demanding phase of development’
EconomyWorld Bank
The World Bank has elevated Vietnam and the Philippines to upper-middle-income status—but now they face ‘a far more demanding phase of development’
By Angelica AngJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
Success
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
16 hours ago
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
Success
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
Success
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
By Emma BurleighJuly 2, 2026
18 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 2, 2026
19 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
8 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.