The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is by far the biggest of its kind in the world. The average daily trading reaches $170 billion, while the total capitalisation of listed companies on the NYSE is well over $14 trillion. As you can imagine, daily events there can often reach fever-pitch. In the late 60’s, a few artful “yippies” conspired to create a publicity stunt at the Wall Street establishment. While swarms of brokers were cutting deals worth millions of dollars, these individuals quietly climbed to a vantage point overlooking the manic trading floor. They attracted everyone’s attention with a loud call, and proceeded to shower down fistfuls of fake dollar bills! As the individuals on the trading floor saw this astonishing sight, a frantic scramble ensued, as they shrugged each other off to grab the cash, while leaving all their lucrative deals hanging! It was incredulous – there was practically no financial benefit in their petty scramble, yet the mere sight of physical cash completely captivated them. For those few moments, their better intelligence lost them. As they realized the trick they quickly retreated back to their business in a desperate attempt to recoup their losses!
Heat of the moment
Heat of the moment
Heat of the moment
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is by far the biggest of its kind in the world. The average daily trading reaches $170 billion, while the total capitalisation of listed companies on the NYSE is well over $14 trillion. As you can imagine, daily events there can often reach fever-pitch. In the late 60’s, a few artful “yippies” conspired to create a publicity stunt at the Wall Street establishment. While swarms of brokers were cutting deals worth millions of dollars, these individuals quietly climbed to a vantage point overlooking the manic trading floor. They attracted everyone’s attention with a loud call, and proceeded to shower down fistfuls of fake dollar bills! As the individuals on the trading floor saw this astonishing sight, a frantic scramble ensued, as they shrugged each other off to grab the cash, while leaving all their lucrative deals hanging! It was incredulous – there was practically no financial benefit in their petty scramble, yet the mere sight of physical cash completely captivated them. For those few moments, their better intelligence lost them. As they realized the trick they quickly retreated back to their business in a desperate attempt to recoup their losses!