Other known sovereigns in U.S. commercial real-estate lending include Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, and the Government of Singapore Investment Corp.

WSJ: Bank of China Eyes Expansion Into U.S. Securitization

Other large gold investors include Tom Kaplan, who owns a major position in Novagold(NG), a Canadian company, Frank Giustra, a Canadian mining entrepreneur, The University of Texas pension fund and many others such as US Global Investors, a mutual fund company in San Antonio, Texas.

FORBES: Soros Reported To Have Sold Gold Position in April

The global investment arm of the Government Pension Fund, as the oil fund is formally named, is the biggest investor in shares across Europe, so its holdings took a knock during the financial crisis.

BBC: Has the UK squandered its North Sea riches?

Then, too, the story has passed from the gold gurus like Frank Giustra, and the central banks of China, India and Russia, among others, to the hedge fund giants like George Soros and John Paulson, among others, to mutual fund groups like US Global Resources to pension funds, wealthy families.

FORBES: Gold At $1,342 Is Taking A Breather