You can "guess," but idle guesses are no substitute for thinking seriously about economic issues. Let's suppose, for a moment, that this monumental sum of $15,000 USD "makes a killing." Let's suppose, for a moment, that the economic otherwise goes in recession or depression because Eric Cantor wants to "make a killing" from $15,000. Property prices fall; salaries fall; unemployment rises. These prize economic conditions are excellent for the good Mr Cantor's future and current prosperity, of course, as well as that of his family. What kind of return would you want from your $15,000 so that you can rest assured that you and your family would be sitting pretty for the foreseeable future while your other sources of income dry up? Is $15,000 the only thing he's invested, ever? What about shares on the stock exchange? What if your children lose their jobs? What if your property becomes worthless? The fact that this man invested $15,000 USD in short selling does not prove that he has some undue motive to bankrupt the nation. It's $15,000. It's not like he threw his life's savings into this. It is terribly naive of you to think that he's betting on a $15,000 investment when entering into these negotiations. The fact that you posted this article merely indicates how willing you are to take nonsense at face value.