Crazy Money! Investing in the Monte Carlo Bond

It’s Crazy Money Day! 

French artist Marcel Duchamp stretched the definition of art. In his book Money GPT, James Rickards tells how Duchamp tried to finance his gambling efforts. He created a bond certificate with his face photographed in shaving foam and superimposed on a roulette wheel. It mimicked a financial instrument of that day. The face value was 500 francs, with an issue date of November, 1924. Duchamp sold only 14, with a promised interest rate of 20%. He needed to sell 30 bonds to raise 15,000 francs. As you can imagine, the entire system failed. However, in 2010, Duchamp’s Monte Carlo Bond (No. 1) sold at an art auction for over a million dollars. It had appreciated 36,000%. That’s crazy! Even crazier is the fact that people originally bought bonds without proven results. They trusted his promise to deliver through his unique offering.

Well, that still happens today. We’re drawn to ideas that sound innovative, exciting, or even genius. Yet, when it comes to money, wisdom calls us to diligence, discernment, and patience. Proverbs reminds us that “the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” (Proverbs 21:5) Creativity is powerful, but schemes, shortcuts, or systems that make unrealistic promises can be deceptive. When investing God’s money, we must research well, seek wise counsel, and trust in His Word.

We’re excited to invite you to join us in Knoxville, Tennessee, this September 10th through the 12th. We want to celebrate all that God has done through Crown over the last 50 years. Learn more at crown.org/50years.