Alternative Investing Report - January 27, 2026

*as of 1/26; Sources: S&P, BTC, FTSE, DJRE, GOLD

For the first time ever, the price of an ounce of gold surpassed $5,000, even topping $5,100 yesterday before falling back slightly by day’s end. Meanwhile, silver just had its biggest day in 40 years, with the price per ounce rising 14% to top $115 for the first time ever. Gold is up 15% already in 2026, and silver has gained a whopping 64%.

➨ TAKEAWAY: The gold and silver surge is showing no signs of abating, with investors flocking to the safe haven assets as global uncertainty increases and the dollar weakens. Goldman Sachs recently revised its 2026 year-end price forecast for gold to $5,400 an ounce, a mark that it will easily reach if the rally continues. Goldman also estimates that central-bank purchases of gold are averaging 60 tons a month, nearly four times the rate from 2022, as governments, institutions, and retail investors all show strong demand for the asset.

In the newest episode of Smart Humans, Slava Rubin talked with Augment CEO and co-founder Noel Moldvai about the vision behind Augment, predictions for 2026, and practical advice for investing in pre-IPO companies.

🎨 Art market sentiment: 2026 looks promising for the art market, and more than half of market leaders surveyed expect it to grow this year. Works above $1 million and below $50,000 are seeing the most attention from buyers, with mid-market works seeing less demand.

🏡 Top buyer’s markets: Indianapolis is the best U.S. market for homebuyers in 2026 according to Zillow, with the a combination of affordability, price upside, and low competition. Atlanta, Charlotte, and Jacksonville follow, with the Midwest and South taking every spot in the top 10.

🥃 American whiskey record: One of only 60 bottles of 1982 Pappy Van Winkle 20 year single barrel “Sam’s” bourbon sold for $162,500, a new record for any bottle of American whiskey and well above the high estimate of $100,000.

🚀 California leads in VC: Startups headquartered in the Golden State commanded 62% of all VC dollars invested last year, and were responsible for 31.5% of all deals, as it remains the unrivaled center of the industry.

🏢 CRE fundraising rises: Private real estate fundraising grew 29% in 2025 to $222 billion, the first annual gain since 2021. A significant portion of the gain is due to investment into data centers, which made up 37% of the capital raised compared to just 2% of the total raised in 2024.

💵 Private credit targeting 401(k)s: Last year saw 41 new evergreen private credit funds, many of which are compatible with 401(k)s and other retirement accounts, as firms continue to target retail investors.

The most expensive house currently listed in the U.S. is a 12-bedroom, 17 bathroom estate in the Los Angeles hills on the market for $99.95 million (because $100 million would be too much to pay). The 2.08 acre property is flush with high-end amenities, such as an infinity pool with a rising 23-foot TV, a hand-carved fireplace, a vodka-tasting pool, cigar lounge, staff accommodations and a guest suite. It was originally listed for $139 million in 2022, so interested buyers could potentially keep waiting and see how low the owner is willing to go - maybe it will drop to $59 million by 2030. Also of note is that the buyer can pay entirely in crypto.