Capuchin monkeys were taught to use small silver discs as money in an economic experiment conducted at Yale University, and they immediately proved that capitalism brings out the absolute worst in primates.

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Capuchin monkeys were taught to use small silver discs as money in an economic experiment conducted at Yale University, and they immediately proved that capitalism brings out the absolute worst in primates. Researchers introduced the concept of trading these coins for treats like grapes and apples, expecting to observe basic budgeting behaviors. Instead, the monkeys quickly grasped the concept of price fluctuations, started stealing coins from each other, and, in a truly spectacular display of accelerated societal decay, used the currency to pay for sexual favors. The monkey who received the coin for prostitution immediately turned around and spent it on a grape, perfectly mimicking human microeconomics without needing a four-year finance degree or a Wall Street internship!