News Type: Market Analysis / Macro Trends
The year is 2026, and the "Devil’s Metal" is back with a vengeance. With Silver recently shattering the $100 barrier and eyeing $120, the ghosts of 1980 are officially haunting the charts. But before you FOMO into the silver squeeze, you need to understand the story of the men who almost broke the world.
The Hunt Brothers: When Billionaires Cornered the World
In the late 1970s, two Texas oil tycoons—Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt—decided that paper money was a sinking ship. They didn't just buy silver; they tried to own all of it.
The Hoard: They controlled an estimated 100 million ounces of physical silver and massive futures contracts.
The Monopoly: At their peak, they held nearly 1/3 of the entire global supply (excluding government reserves).
The Moon Mission: Silver skyrocketed from $2 to nearly $50 in less than a decade—a 2,400% gain.
The System Strikes Back: "Silver Rule 7"
As the price soared, the global economy panicked. Jewelry stores were robbed, and Tiffany & Co. even took out a full-page ad in The New York Times to condemn the brothers. Finally, the regulators stepped in with a "kill switch."
The COMEX introduced Silver Rule 7, which effectively restricted new buying and forced traders into "liquidation only" mode. Margin requirements were hiked so high that the Hunts couldn't pay. On March 27, 1980—Silver Thursday—the market collapsed over 50% in a single day. The brothers went from being the world's richest men to declaring bankruptcy with billions in debt.
2026: Why This Time is Different (And Why It’s Not)
Today, Silver is trading at $120/oz, but the engine behind the price has changed. We no longer have two brothers pulling the strings; we have a global industrial vacuum.
Exploding Demand: Solar panels, EVs, and AI data centers are consuming silver at record rates.
Structural Deficit: For five years straight, the world has produced less silver than it consumes.
Digital Fortress: Modern regulations and position limits make a "Hunt-style" cornering virtually impossible.
However, the lesson remains: Volatility is a double-edged sword. Silver moves violently because it is both an industrial necessity and a speculative playground. History tells us that while no single player can control the market forever, the "echo" of a squeeze can send prices to the moon before the inevitable correction.
The Big Question
Are we looking at a sustainable breakout driven by technology, or a speculative bubble destined for another "Silver Thursday"?
👇 Are you HODLing silver or waiting for the dip? Let me know your price target for the end of 2026!
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