James Chanos is a renowned short-seller. Probably his most famous and profitable short was Enron before it collapsed. Back in 2000 he turned his attentions to the stock after reading a small news article, which would not have suggested anything to most. He dug deeper than any other analysts at the time into the companies' financial statements. His research brought up a number of red flags. He shorted the stock, informed the media and increased the short position as more information came to light.
Baldwin-United, Tyco and KB Home are other examples of his successful shorts.