In 1923, Who Was:
1. Who was the president of the largest steel company?
2. Who held the position of president at the largest gas company?
3. Who was the president of the New York Stock Exchange?
4. Who was recognized as the greatest wheat speculator?
5. Who served as president of the Bank of International Settlement?
6. Who was the Great Bear of Wall Street?
These individuals were regarded as some of the most accomplished of their time.
Now, 88 years later, history prompts us to consider what ultimately happened to them.
The Answers:
1. Charles Schwab, the president of the largest steel company, passed away in poverty.
2. Edward Hopson, the president of the largest gas company, suffered from insanity.
3. Richard Whitney, the president of the NYSE, was freed from prison to pass away at home.
4. The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cooger, died abroad in a state of poverty.
5. The president of the Bank of International Settlement took his own life.
6. Cosabee Livermore, known as the Great Bear of Wall Street, also committed suicide.
In the same year, 1923, the victor of the world’s most significant road race, the Isle of Man T.T., was Stanley Woods.
What happened to him?
Between 1923 and 1939, he clinched 10 T.T. victories. He spent his life on the Isle of Man, devoted to motorcycles. In 1957, at age 54, he completed a lap of the island circuit at 82 mph (The Golden Jubilee). When he passed away at 90, he was a wealthy individual.
The Moral:
Forget work; Ride motorbikes.
by Jeff Millins
