Could Hunt Brothers Silver Story Happen Again?
The Hunt brothers' story is a fascinating tale that sounds like a movie, except it is a true story. The Hunt brothers, Nelson Bunker Hunt and Herbert Hunt, had an amazing run, making billions in the silver market, and just as quickly lost it all. Whether this was due to the Hunt brothers' desire to corner the silver market and eventually control the market, or simply an attempt to make more money, or maybe even a way to protect them from a possible impending financial crash and hyperinflation, no one can really be sure. But they were definitely movers and shakers in the industry.
The Hunt brothers' father is H.L. Hunt, who was born in Illinois. Despite the fact that his father is quite wealthy, H.L. went out and worked in various odd jobs until his father died when he was twenty two years old. H.L. took his inheritance and tried a lot of different businesses, such as cotton farming and oil drilling. He was also known to be quite a successful gambler, and he does not hesitate to push all his chips on the table.
H.L. had a total of three wives, two of which he had simultaneously. Just the same, he was able to provide for his children and wives after being successful in the oil industry.
The second eldest son, Bunker, inherited the business, after the eldest son Hassie developed a mental condition leading to his incapacitation early in life.
Like his father, Bunker was also quite a gambler, ending in big gains in different businesses together with his brothers. While building on his Libyan oil lease, he noticed a possible danger in worldwide economy due to several factors, not the least being the Vietnam issue causing doubt in the U.S. government and Libya going into transition. He also was concerned that US inflation would get out of control. He started to acquire silver, since during that time it was illegal for U.S. citizens to own gold.
During this time came a hard hit, when other oil companies gave in to Qaddafi's demands of royalty payment from foreign oil companies. Bunker started to buy silver in a big way with his brother Herbert, and by 1974 they had fifty five million oz of silver.
Concerned about government confiscation, Bunker decided to ship their silver to Switzerland, their brother-in-law Randy Kreiling held a contest, the winners of which will become bodyguards for the delivery of silver to different storage facilities in Switzerland, via specially chartered 707 jets and armored cars traveling in the dark of night.
Bunker also tried to form a group of people, by meeting with wealthy Arabs, who will pool their silver together. The group continued to accumulate silver and in 1979 the price jumped from $6/oz to an all time high of $48.7. At the time, it was estimated that the hunts controlled one third of the entire world's supply of silver.
Unfortunately, in a panic move to curtail gold and silver's ascent, COMEX, the US exchange for silver changed some rules in the market about handling silver and contracts to prevent further buying. This resulted in a drop in the price of silver. Bunker looked around Europe for possible buying partners to help push up the price of silver. But the more the price dropped, the harder it became for them to borrow money.
Ultimately, the Hunt brothers ran out of cash and decided to, in Bunker's own words to Herbert, "Shut it down." They ended up owing 1.5 billion dollars.
Fearing financial disaster, Fed Chairman Volker approved a bailout plan for the Hunt brothers. A group of banks loaned them 1.1 billion dollars. Volker also raised interest rates dramatically to fight inflation that was careening out of control. Reagan's presidency somewhat cleared the fog, and gave a new optimism to the people and somewhat balanced the economy.
The question still remains though as to whether silver could spike again, and if it does will the government have the power to stop inflation or the rise of silver.