Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
De Beers successfully convinced the entire world that diamonds are rare and valuable through a legendary 1938 marketing campaign, despite the fact that these shiny rocks are actually quite common.
De Beers successfully convinced the entire world that diamonds are rare and valuable through a legendary 1938 marketing campaign, despite the fact that these…
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Pepsi faced a massive breach of contract lawsuit in 1996 after joking in a commercial that consumers could redeem seven million points for a military-grade Harrier fighter jet.
Pepsi faced a massive breach of contract lawsuit in 1996 after joking in a commercial that consumers could redeem seven million points for a military-grade…
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Fast food giant McDonald's makes the vast majority of its massive global profits from real estate rather than actually selling cheap hamburgers and salty french fries.
Fast food giant McDonald's makes the vast majority of its massive global profits from real estate rather than actually selling cheap hamburgers and salty…
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Luxury brands deliberately raise their prices to make their products more desirable, directly defying the fundamental economic law of supply and demand.
Luxury brands deliberately raise their prices to make their products more desirable, directly defying the fundamental economic law of supply and demand. This…
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Software engineers created a cryptocurrency based on a popular internet meme of a shiba inu dog in 2013 purely to mock the rampant speculation in the digital asset market.
Software engineers created a cryptocurrency based on a popular internet meme of a shiba inu dog in 2013 purely to mock the rampant speculation in the digital…
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Coca-Cola executives legally locked themselves into selling their flagship glass bottle of soda for exactly five cents from 1886 all the way until 1959.
Coca-Cola executives legally locked themselves into selling their flagship glass bottle of soda for exactly five cents from 1886 all the way until 1959. This…
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Icelandic banks grew to be ten times the size of the entire nation's gross domestic product before spectacularly collapsing during the 2008 financial crisis.
Icelandic banks grew to be ten times the size of the entire nation's gross domestic product before spectacularly collapsing during the 2008 financial crisis.…
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Parker Brothers' massively popular board game Monopoly was originally patented in 1904 by a progressive feminist named Lizzie Magie under the title The Landlord's Game.
Parker Brothers' massively popular board game Monopoly was originally patented in 1904 by a progressive feminist named Lizzie Magie under the title The…
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Shared currency eliminates traveler math
The Euro wasn't solely a lofty political move; it was practically designed so tourists wouldn't have to whip out a calculator to figure out if a cheap…
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When being single was a punishable offense
Staying single has historically been a terrible financial move. Ancient Rome, and later Mussolini, actively penalized unmarried men to encourage population…
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Why Christmas trees take a decade to grow
Farming pines requires absurd levels of patience. Growers must dedicate acreage and maintenance for a full decade, banking entirely on a frantic three-week…
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Why mohair subsidies outlived wartime uniforms
Because taking away a subsidy is political suicide. What started as an emergency measure to ensure warm uniforms for soldiers during major wars turned into a…
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Rhode Island accidentally advertised Iceland
In a truly massive marketing blunder, the state's multi-million dollar promotional video accidentally featured a skateboarder rolling through Reykjavik. They…
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Can travel guides really be bought off
Many highly revered travel books and blogs secretly accept free tickets and kickbacks from the very establishments they review, rendering their supposedly…
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Why opera rarely pays for itself
Singing loudly in Italian is apparently terrible for margins. Ticket sales rarely cover the monumental costs of elaborate sets and massive orchestras, meaning…
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Why surrogacy comes with a steep price
Gestation is incredibly expensive to outsource. Contracting another human being to undergo nine months of bodily transformation requires staggering legal fees…
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Why Japan measures workers' waists
Nothing enforces corporate loyalty quite like a state-mandated tape measure. To curb healthcare costs, the local mandate forces enterprises to measure the…
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Why Japan pays to maintain ghost towns
Because abandoning a town entirely is apparently too practical. Depopulation leaves massive infrastructure completely unused, yet municipalities still receive…
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Corsica once taxed dogs for their tails
Because clearly, a wagging appendage is a sign of immense wealth. To avoid paying the ridiculous local levy, cynical dog owners simply snipped off the tails…
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Haunted houses survive on purely seasonal profitability
Relying on exactly four weeks of operation to fund an entire year is terrifying. These venues must cram all their earnings into October, turning fake blood…
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El Salvador claimed to be a short commute country
Their actual tourism slogan proudly bragged that you could easily cross the entire nation in under an hour. It reads less like an exciting invitation and more…
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Rounding cash transactions steals pennies
Many countries eliminated their smallest coins, meaning prices are forcibly rounded to the nearest increment. Over millions of transactions, businesses…
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Almond farms rely on millions of traveling beehives
Nuts do not grow without massive insect intervention. Because natural populations are too small, growers must pay exorbitant fees to trucking companies that…
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Adopting a highway mostly buys you a sign
You do not actually own the asphalt, you just own the bragging rights. Companies and individuals pay to have their names plastered on roadside markers under…
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