[Toddsterpatriot]

I've heard on CNBC and read from several news sources that commodities hedge fund traders could be controlling as much as forty percent of the price of oil, driving it up to make a profit at the expense of the rest of the economy.

How do they drive it up and make a profit?

[AndyJackson]

How do they drive it up and make a profit?

It's the old formula. Buy low, sell high. Selling above your costs is the usual way you make money in any business.