Economist Predicted Dow Would Crash to 3,000-5,000 "A Couple Years" From 2016. A Couple Years Later, It Was 26,000. Today It's Over 40,000.

Harry Dent has built a career out of predicting crashes that never happen. In 1999, he predicted Dow 40,000 by 2009 — it didn't get there until 2021. Then he pivoted to doom: In 2011, he predicted Dow 3,000 by 2013. In 2016, fresh off Trump's election, he went on CNBC to warn of a "once in a lifetime" crash, predicting the Dow would plummet from 20,000 to between 3,000 and 5,000 within "a couple years." He cited demographics, productivity, Italy's debt, and China's real estate bubble as triggers. His advice? Sell everything and buy 30-year Treasuries. Reality: The Dow hit 26,000 by January 2018 — "a couple years" later. By 2024, it crossed 40,000. Had you followed Dent's advice and sold in December 2016, you would have missed a 100%+ gain. But don't worry — as of 2024, he's still predicting an 86% crash. Any day now.