That too is a possibility. The problem with that one has always been "timing the market" The really rich are the ones that have banks of computers that just take a little bit here and a little bit there. These are also the ones who really hate the thought of a tax on trades as they do, literally, a million+ every day. This system also doesn't care what the market is doing as they can automatically go both ways and are, for the most part doing it free as they either own a chair or part of a chair.

I think the real rich don't short the market. They hold and hold forever, and have people to clip the bond coupons and cash the dividend checks for them. They have family income trust funds that pay everyone in their extended family more money than they can spend every year.

It's the money guys that are doing the active trading. Totally different people. Rich people don't have to take those kind of risks. If their conservative investments only make 5% a year, that's still a billion dollars!