Bill Ackman turned a $27 million bet into $2.6 billion in a genius investment. Here are 12 of the best trades of all time.

Bill Ackman.Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

• The hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman is among few who minted a multibillion-dollar profit during the throes of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The famed investor turned a relatively modest $27 million bet into a whopping $2.6 billion windfall as the outbreak continued to drag on stocks and threatened deep economic recession.
• From George Soros' breaking of the Bank of England in 1992, to Michael Burry's now world-famous Big Short during the financial crisis, Markets Insider decided to round up some of the best trades of all time.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Pershing Square Capital's CEO Bill Ackman made headlines last month after making $2.6 billion for his hedge fund off a wise, yet controversial bet that the coronavirus would crash the stock market.

With stock markets going into free-fall during the economic downturn, Ackman was one among a handful who landed massive profits by using credit protection on investment-grade and high-yield bond indexes.

Ackman's was the latest in a long line of renowned risky but wildly successful bets on the markets.

From George Soros' breaking of the Bank of England in 1992, to Michael Burry's now world-famous Big Short during the financial crisis, Markets Insider decided to round up some of the best trades of all time.

Check them out below.