Each year around this time, one of the world’s wealthiest fictional characters receives a lot of attention. That, of course, is Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly and bitter character created by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol and retold in a number of movie versions.
But just how wealthy was Scrooge and how did he earn all that money?
Dickens’ novel, published in 1843, doesn’t say for certain, but obviously Scrooge was extraordinarily wealthy for the time period. Various people have ventured guesses at Scrooge’s wealth. Forbes listed him as the sixth-richest fictional character with $8 billion in assets (namesake Scrooge McDuck was second with $29.1 billion, apparently all in gold coins stored in a giant vault).
Others have pegged Scrooge’s wealth a bit lower, in the $1-2 billion range, although whether that was in current dollar values or 1843 value wasn’t designated.
How he became rich is probably through usurious money-lending practices, although he also apparently invested in commodities like wheat and corn. In London during the 19th-century, there was an enormous gap between the haves and have-nots. The poor were often forced to take out loans at high interest rates (like those on modern-day credit cards) just to provide the basics like food and heat.
Of course, Scrooge also famously refused to spend money, even on basic necessities like heat for his office, and barely paid Bob Cratchit enough to take care of his family. By maximizing his profits through questionable business practices and minimizing his expenses, his wealth grew greatly.
But the lesson of Ebenezer Scrooge for those of us in business today is that we thrive, both professionally and personally, when we are generous with what we have and take care of our employees and those in need. The CSRA is fortunate to have many business owners who have already learned that lesson.
And it’s a valuable lesson for everyone in business to learn before spending a sleepless night full of ghost encounters.
