Finance nuggets from the smartest and wealthiest minds 💰
Feb 6 • 14 tweets • 6 min read
In 1965, Singapore was broke, defenseless, and on the brink of collapse.
Today, its GDP per capita is higher than the US.
How did a tiny island with no natural resources become an economic powerhouse?
This is the untold story of Singapore’s rise:
In 1965, when Singapore became independent:
• Unemployment was over 14%.
• GDP per capita: $516 (comparable to that of a developing nation).
• The island had no natural resources—no oil, no farmland, no minerals.
Feb 5 • 17 tweets • 6 min read
In 1904, banks only served the rich.
If you were an immigrant, a laborer, or a small business owner, they wouldn’t lend you a cent.
But one man changed everything: Amadeo Giannini.
Here’s how he built the Bank of America (a $2.4 trillion giant today):
In the early 1900s, American banks weren’t interested in working-class people.
The poor and immigrants were left to loan sharks.
Giannini, the son of Italian immigrants, saw an opportunity.
Instead of lending only to the elite, he started a bank for everyday workers.
Feb 4 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
Your money isn’t real.
97% of it is just numbers in a bank’s computer—created out of thin air.
Banks don’t lend you money—they create it when you take a loan.
And when you repay it, that money disappears.
This is the greatest illusion in modern finance. Let me explain...
In the UK, only 3% of money exists as cash.
The other 97%? It’s digital—created by commercial banks when they issue loans.
When a bank lends you money, it doesn't transfer existing cash.
It creates new money by simply typing numbers into a computer.
Jan 30 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
This software controls $21 trillion—more than the GDP of the UK, Japan, and Germany combined.
It’s used by banks, governments, and even the Federal Reserve.
Here’s how BlackRock’s Aladdin became the invisible hand controlling global finance:
Aladdin stands for Asset, Liability, and Debt and Derivative Investment Network.
Built by BlackRock in the late 1980s, it started as a tool for risk analysis.
Today, it’s the backbone of global finance, used by over 200 institutions, including central banks.
Jan 28 • 12 tweets • 5 min read
Finland redefined education—and it changed everything:
• Free Education
• Minimal homework
• No standardized tests
Today, it’s the happiest and one of the wealthiest nations on Earth.
Here’s how Finland’s schools revolutionized the future of a nation:
In the 1970s, Finland faced economic challenges and recognized that its future depended on a highly educated workforce.
Instead of copying existing systems, Finland created an education model based on equity, creativity, and collaboration.
Jan 27 • 14 tweets • 5 min read
A chicken war from 60 years ago still makes trucks more expensive today.
Now, Trump wants 60% tariffs on China and 20% on all imports—the boldest trade move in decades.
Will it protect the economy or spark a global showdown?
Here’s what history teaches us:
Before diving into Trump’s plan, let’s revisit a famous example of the Chicken War of the 1960s.
In post-WWII West Germany, American chicken imports became wildly popular.
By 1962, U.S. farmers were selling over $50 million worth of chicken annually (about $500 million today).
Jan 26 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
In the late 1990s, Japanese housewives with only computers and courage disrupted global finance.
From kitchen tables, they moved billions, outsmarted Wall Street, and became a force markets couldn’t ignore.
This is the untold story of Mrs. Watanabe:
In the 1980s, Japan’s economy was booming, with sky-high real estate and stock market prices.
But when the 1990s arrived, the bubble popped, wiping out trillions of yen and marking the start of the "Lost Decade."
Jan 25 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
In 2008, millions lost their homes, jobs, and savings.
The men who caused it?
They made billions and walked free.
Here’s the untold story of how Wall Street’s greed crushed the world:
In the early 2000s, Wall Street was a profit-making monster.
Banks were securitizing mortgage loans into complex financial products like:
Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs), repackaging risky subprime loans, and selling them as "safe investments."
Jan 22 • 11 tweets • 4 min read
Charlie Munger was a big believer in mental models.
But he’s not the only one—Warren Buffett, Ray Dalio, and Peter Lynch also use mental models to guide their billion-dollar decisions
Here are 8 powerful mental models used by genius investors 1. Circle of Competence (Warren Buffett)
Only invest in areas you fully understand.
Buffett focuses on industries he has a deep understanding of, avoiding those outside his expertise.
If you don’t understand how a business makes money, don’t invest in it.
Jan 20 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
Look at this man.
He made $1 billion in one day and almost brought down a whole nation.
Here's the story of how George Soros broke the Bank of England (the boldest trade in history):
In 1992, George Soros, a hedge fund manager, identified a weakness in the British pound and decided to bet against it.
This trade is famously known as Black Wednesday.
Jan 16 • 12 tweets • 5 min read
South Korea was once one of the poorest nations on Earth.
Today, its GDP rivals that of the world's largest economies, and it’s home to Samsung, Hyundai, and K-pop.
How did this war-torn country rise to global stardom in just a few decades?
Here’s the incredible story:
South Korea’s rapid growth began under the leadership of Park Chung-hee, who ruled from 1961 to 1979.
He prioritized economic development, emphasizing industrialization and export-oriented growth.
He had a clear vision for the country, transforming it into a manufacturing hub.
Jan 15 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
In 2008, Iceland’s economy collapsed.
Everyone expected a disaster.
But instead of bailing out banks, they jailed bankers—and protected their people.
Here’s how Iceland turned its collapse into one of the greatest economic comebacks in history:
In 2008, the world was gripped by a financial meltdown.
Iceland, a small island nation with just over 300,000 people, was at the center of the chaos.
Its three largest banks—Glitnir, Kaupthing, and Landsbanki—had debts ten times the size of Iceland’s GDP.
Jan 13 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
Japan's economy is a mystery:
• Debt at 250% of GDP.
• Growth stuck near zero for decades.
• Yet no economic collapse.
Here’s how Japan broke every economic rule and still survived:
In the late 1980s, Japan was a financial superpower.
The stock market was booming, real estate prices were astronomical, and wealth seemed limitless.
But beneath the surface was a ticking time bomb.
Banks handed out loans with reckless abandon, fueling an unsustainable bubble.
Jan 12 • 15 tweets • 5 min read
Argentina was once one of the richest countries in the world.
Today, it’s a story of crippling debt, runaway inflation, and 9 defaults.
What went wrong—and what can global investors learn from Argentina’s endless economic chaos:
In the early 20th century, Argentina was one of the wealthiest nations globally, comparable to the U.S. and Western Europe.
But by the mid-1900s, political instability, populist policies, and erratic fiscal decisions eroded its economic foundation.
Jan 11 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
China’s “ghost cities” are a modern mystery:
• Entire cities built with no residents
• Billions spent on empty skyscrapers and malls
Why did this happen—and what does it reveal about the dangers of speculative growth?
Here’s the story behind China’s economic bubbles:
A ghost city is an urban area built with full infrastructure—apartments, offices, malls, and highways—but almost no residents or businesses.
These Cities were built because:
1. Government Growth Targets: China’s local governments are incentivized to show GDP growth.
Dec 26, 2024 • 14 tweets • 5 min read
China’s $1 Trillion gamble is reshaping the world—but at what cost?
• 140+ countries
• Massive infrastructure
• And allegations of debt-trap diplomacy
Here’s how the Belt and Road Initiative is transforming global geopolitics—and why it’s sparking fierce debate:
The BRI, often called China’s “21st-century Silk Road,” is a vast network of railways, highways, ports, and digital corridors linking Asia, Africa, Europe, and beyond.
The initiative has two main components:
Dec 23, 2024 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
This is The History of Stock Market Crashes.
From the Great Depression to the 2008 Financial Crisis, stock market crashes have wiped out trillions in value.
Here are the most disastrous crashes in history and the lessons they’ve taught investors: 1. The Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1907 was triggered by failed speculation in the copper market, causing bank runs and a severe liquidity crisis.
The absence of a central bank in the U.S. at the time magnified the crisis.
Dec 22, 2024 • 16 tweets • 5 min read
In 2008, a junior trader pulled off one of the most dangerous financial schemes ever.
When the truth came out, it nearly bankrupted one of the oldest banks in France.
Here’s the full story of the $7 billion error that shocked the world:
Jérôme Kerviel was a junior trader handling relatively low-profile trades for Société Générale.
He was known by his peers as hardworking but unassuming.
But in January 2008, this inconspicuous trader sent shockwaves through the financial world.
Dec 21, 2024 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
Look at this man.
He sold 8 million acres of fake land, convinced hundreds to move to a country that didn’t exist, and walked away rich.
Here’s the unbelievable story of Gregor MacGregor and the greatest scam in history:
History is full of scams, but few can match the audacity of Gregor MacGregor, a Scottish conman who sold an entire fake country to unsuspecting investors in the 1820s.
Born in Scotland in 1786, MacGregor’s early life was steeped in ambition and manipulation.
Dec 19, 2024 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
Look at this man.
He made $1 billion betting on the Asian financial crisis and crushed the economies of three countries:
South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand.
Here’s the story of George Soros attack on Thai bhat (the boldest trade in Asian history):
In the early 1990s, many Asian countries were experiencing unprecedented economic growth.
Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea became known as the Asian Tigers due to their booming export-driven economies.
Dec 17, 2024 • 16 tweets • 5 min read
This Harvard professor outperformed Warren Buffett, Ray Dalio and Peter Lynch for 36 years.
He made billions in the stock market using mathematical models and algorithms.
Here are the trading secrets of Jim Simons (the man who cracked Wall Street):
Before building one of the most successful hedge funds in history, Jim Simons was a mathematician and a former codebreaker for the U.S. government.
With no formal finance training, he took an unusual approach to investing.