10 Winners of the Global Economic Meltdown

“Everyone is suffering,” President Obama said in his speech to a joint session of Congress in late February. He was referring to the global financial and economic crisis, but he didn’t have it exactly right. There are some people who are doing well: dollar-store owners, bankruptcy lawyers, gun manufacturers (sales are up!), short-sellers of stock, foreclosure experts, and so on. But some who are doing well are doing really well. You’ve heard of some of them: John Paulson, the hedge fund guru; Andrew Lahde, the hemp enthusiast; Meredith Whitney, the super-prescient analyst. But what about the guy from New Zealand who got a 236 percent return last year? He’s on the list, too. Here’s a rundown of 10 of the financial crisis’ biggest winners.