How did Gatsby make his Money?
Ah, the roaring '20s, a time of economic prosperity, jazz, flappers, and a little-known fellow named Jay Gatsby. Gatsby was the enigmatic protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, "The Great Gatsby." Today, we'll dive into the murky waters of Gatsby's wealth and discuss how he accumulated it in a manner that would make modern-day Wall Street titans blush. The book is ostensibly a tragic love story, but we all know the real star of the show is Gatsby's seemingly infinite wealth. Our main man Jay is renowned for his opulent parties, which were basically a one-stop-shop for anyone who wanted to forget the crushing existential despair of the human condition. But where did all this money come from? Fitzgerald is frustratingly vague on this point, but we can piece together some clues from the text to paint a picture of Gatsby's financial machinations. Bond, Junk Bond While the novel doesn't spell it out, it's widely believed that Gatsby made a significant chunk of his fortune through the bond market. Now, the bond market in the 1920s was a bit like the Wild West (minus the horses and shootouts), and the junk bond market was like the Wild West on steroids. It seems likely that Gatsby, never one to shy away from a bit of risk, made a killing by trafficking in these high-yield, high-risk bonds. All's fair in love and bond trading, right? Bootlegging: Because Everyone Loves a Good Cocktail Let's not forget that the 1920s were also the era of Prohibition, when the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol were illegal in the United States. This created a lucrative black market for booze, and our main man Gatsby was no stranger to this market. It's heavily implied in the novel that Gatsby was involved in the bootlegging business. I mean, those fabulous parties needed an equally fabulous (and illicit) supply of alcohol, right? Gatsby likely made a pretty penny from smuggling hooch, and it's just the sort of morally ambiguous business venture you'd expect from our favorite enigmatic millionaire. Playing the Market: Gatsby's Love for Insider Trading Now, we can't discuss Gatsby's fortune without touching on the possibility of some good old-fashioned market manipulation. Rumors abound in the novel that Gatsby was involved
in shady Wall Street dealings, and we wouldn't put it past him to engage in a bit of insider trading. I mean, who wouldn't want to profit from a juicy stock tip whispered in the corner of one of those legendary parties?
It's entirely possible that Gatsby, like many of his contemporaries, dabbled in the dark arts of stock manipulation. You know, the sort of thing that involves spreading rumors, artificially inflating stock prices, and then selling off shares at a hefty profit before the whole thing comes crashing down. It's the kind of strategy that would make Bernie Madoff nod approvingly, if only he had a time machine.
Swindling, Securities, and the Art of the Con
If we're being honest, Gatsby's entire life was one big con, wasn't it? He reinvented himself from the humble James Gatz into the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby, and that level of reinvention takes some serious swindling skills. It's not a stretch to imagine that Gatsby also applied those skills to the business world.
Perhaps Gatsby was involved in some less-than-legal securities dealings or even straight-up fraud. The 1920s were a time of rampant speculation and investment scams, so it would hardly be surprising if our charming protagonist took advantage of the financial chaos to line his own pockets.
