Has anyone actually made money copying famous investors?

There’s been a lot of buzz about copying the trades of famous investors, and I’m wondering if it actually works in practice. The idea sounds great; follow the moves of successful people and, in theory, get solid returns. But does it really play out that way?

If you’ve tried it, I’d love to hear:

• Did you see real gains, or was it a bust?
• How difficult was it to track and execute their trades?
• Who did you follow; politicians, hedge funds, or big name investors?
• Any unexpected hurdles you ran into?

Curious to hear both success stories and cautionary tales from anyone who’s given this a shot.