The disclosures reveal that Mnuchin may have benefited following his comments in a Nov. 30 interview that the government should exit control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The remarks sent shares of the mortgage-finance giants soaring. Mnuchin’s filings show he’s invested as much as $2 million in Paulson Advantage LP, which holds a stake in Fannie and Freddie.
The Paulson Advantage holdings are among 43 investments that he has pledged to divest within 90 days of being confirmed. The value of the divestitures is more than $75 million, based on Bloomberg calculations.
Some think Mnuchin won’t get confirmed, and some think that Fannie and Freddie can’t even be privatized. Interesting times!