Who came up with this joke?

May 16, 2008 8:55 AM

People often say: "The best way to make a small fortune in [insert industry here] is to start with a large one" Who first came up with this joke, and what industry was the joke originally about?
posted by Kevin A to writing & language (16 comments total)

I remember reading that quote in a Law textbook. I can't remember the author's name, I think he's an English academic based in America. He was talking about farmers but I'm not sure if he's the one who originally came up with that saying.
posted by tnuocca 2 at 8:59 AM on May 16, 2008

I've only heard it about winemaking.
posted by Perplexity at 9:00 AM on May 16, 2008

I have heard similar statements in regards to operating a restaurant. "How do you make a million dollars in the restaurant business? Start with two million."
posted by absalom at 9:10 AM on May 16, 2008

I first heard it about motorcycle dealerships.
posted by workerant at 9:25 AM on May 16, 2008

I'm sure I've heard this about the early days of the oil business but it was probably generic then (I've also heard it about airlines)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:26 AM on May 16, 2008

i've also only heard it applied to vineyards and winemaking.
posted by kamelhoecker at 9:42 AM on May 16, 2008

It was mentioned in a TED Talk about the movie industry recently. The best way to become a millionaire making films is to start off as a billionaire.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:44 AM on May 16, 2008

Heard it about publishing but fairly sure it didn't originate there.
posted by chrominance at 9:44 AM on May 16, 2008

I have most often heard this joke and its variations attributed to farming and / or ranching, but I don't know if that's where it originated.

My favorite variation is the one where an old cattle rancher wins a $100 million Powerball jackpot. Needless to say, this is big news in his county. The local paper sends around a reporter to interview him about his remarkable windfall.

She asks him "So, what are you going to do with that much money?"

He stares off toward the horizon for a long time, thinking, then turns to her. "Well, I guess I'll just keep running cattle 'til it's gone."
posted by dersins at 9:44 AM on May 16, 2008

This is the problem - every industry seems to have its own variant. But it must have started somewhere...
posted by Kevin A at 9:48 AM on May 16, 2008

Also heard it re: publishing.
posted by roombythelake at 4:10 PM on May 16, 2008

I think this just may be one of those truisms that has such an obscure origin (and it's even likely that it has several) that it would be near impossible to trace it to any one source. Your best bet, I think, is to go by publishing dates- as in "who was first recorded saying this phrase?"- which is what I think you're aiming for, and in that case I'd ask for more answers like tnuocca 2's:

"I remember reading that quote in a Law textbook. I can't remember the author's name, I think he's an English academic based in America. He was talking about farmers but I'm not sure if he's the one who originally came up with that saying."
posted by pedmands at 4:15 PM on May 16, 2008

I've heard it as the best way to make a small fortune in the x business is to start with a large one. Googling this gives attribution (at brainyquotes.com) to Jim Hightower.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jim_hightower.html
Never having heard of him, wikipedia describes him as an activist, born in 1943.
This doesn't fit well with me. I remember first hearing this saying as a young man from my elderly grandfather, at least 15 years ago.
I would be very surprised if he had ever had any exposure to Jim Hightower (being a pretty insular old school Australian bloke).
posted by bystander at 5:57 AM on May 17, 2008

I could swear I've seen a quote like this attributed to Mark Twain, but I can't locate it.
posted by languagehat at 7:25 AM on May 17, 2008

Heh. I first heard this saying about owning baseball teams. :)

This page attributes it to Ruly Carpenter, but I'm certain that it well predates that.

Oddly, a search for "way to make a small fortune" "large one" at Google Books doesn't find anything old. (The results that look old there aren't really old at all when you click through. They are in periodicals, and the first publication date of said periodical is given, but context shows that the result that actually contains the phrase is much newer. 1980s at best. I am surprised at that.
posted by litlnemo at 1:45 PM on May 17, 2008

Searching for "way to make a small fortune" by itself brings up a lot more results, but still, I don't find anything that fits the pattern from earlier than the 1980s. I do find people saying that the saying dates back to the 30s and 40s, but no useful examples.
posted by litlnemo at 1:50 PM on May 17, 2008