To fall into the world of money.

Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), who founded a steel company, was very skilled with numbers.

There is an anecdote that when he approached, people would say, “Here comes the accountant again.”

John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), who founded Standard Oil, started his career as an accountant.

The secret of wealth is in the language of numbers, so the rich commonly like mathematics.

They enjoy basic accounting, balance sheets, etc., and are fluent in the language of numbers as a primary means of communication.

Numbers are the language that describes a company’s health and future.

Our stock market hit a turning point for 30 years of large-scale growth in 2016, starting from 1986.

In 1986, university tuition fees were about 500,000 won, and in 2023, the average tuition fee according to the Ministry of Education statistics was 6,795,200 won.

It’s about 13.59 times higher, so prices have risen by an average of about 10 times over the past 36 years.

The stock price index exceeded 150 points in 1986.

Since the current KOSPI is at 2,720.73 (as of April 8, 2024), it has increased by 18.13 times.

The actual rate of return is 1.81 (18.13 divided by 10), which is an 81% return.

If you bought at around 500 points and still hold it, you have made a profit of 5.44 times (2,720/500).

However, considering the inflation rate, it is a negative return of 46% (5.44/10=0.54).

As our stock market concludes its upward trend and signals a major downturn, it is time to pause and reflect.

Real estate, one of the two main peaks of investment, is also at a crossroads of bubble collapse after passing through a 30-year expansion period starting from 1976.

In 2024, the Korea Index enters the third period of the 360-year cycle, experiencing the turbulence of the 60-year cycle of spring.

the world of money

The daily average foreign exchange trading volume announced by the Bank of Korea in 2023 is $659 billion.

Most of the foreign exchange transactions are made by forces aiming for speculation, excluding spot and forward exchanges.

Capital moves at the speed of light, and even a movement of 0.1%, if it amounts to $30 billion, results in a profit of $30 million.

Due to globalization and financial liberalization, exchange rates are determined not only by the movement of goods and services but also by the flow of capital.

International financial transactions precede trade transactions, and money, more than 50 times the real economy, seeks higher returns, scouring every corner of the earth.

As it becomes increasingly difficult to find good returns due to overinvestment and overproduction, investors rely not on long-term prospects and intrinsic value of companies but on very short-term “technical trading” and “momentum investing.”

Therefore, a financial crisis in a particular country spreads to our exchange rate fluctuations or financial crises.

This is why we need to understand the flow of international finance.

All phenomena in the fields of politics, economics, society, and culture are connected consistently.

We see through the world with discerning eyes.

We open our eyes to the reality and ensure that studying does not get trapped in abstraction but leads to concrete fields.

By keeping an eye on the economic cycle, we systemize the know-how of dollar, bonds, ETFs, gold (commodities), real estate, cryptocurrency, NFT, Sotherby’s auctions, micro-businesses, WordPress, eBooks, coding, etc., in theory and practice.

We attain wealth by doing beneficial deeds for ourselves and others.

When work is beneficial and enjoyable, it becomes a delightful play.

With the development of smartphones, it is possible to produce media content anytime, anywhere.

It is a world where individual entrepreneurs can showcase their various business capabilities in the vast world market of YouTube and WordPress through their own content publication.

To succeed as a solo media entrepreneur, one must choose a field where they can exert their influence and then devote themselves to building their expertise through intense effort.

With the development of platform technology, it is possible to listen to the world’s best lectures from anywhere in the world at minimal cost.

Through platforms like Coursera, Skillshare, Udemy, edX, Khan Academy, one can take online open courses from Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Life is a journey of constantly filling it with fantasy, walking the path of ‘creativity’ with no road.

Life is a journey forward towards excellence and towards polishing oneself towards excellence.