Читать книгу Funny, but True - - Страница 3

Adventure is often about traveling far to find treasure – or at least, that’s what books and movies teach us. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. National Treasure, with Nicolas Cage in the lead. Inspired by such stories, I wanted adventure and a chance to find treasure. In 2008, I found myself far away – in the USA, a 10-hour flight from Moscow. But where was my treasure?

I read about 16th-century Spanish ships laden with gold, resting deep off Florida’s coast. Finding one sounded thrilling but uncertain. Then, to my surprise, I discovered that treasure existed right on land, complete with an address and zip code. It was the U.S. Department of the Treasury. You didn’t need to dive deep into the ocean – you just needed a stockbroker.

Eager to learn, I visited TD Ameritrade, where a broker named Jack explained that the Department of the Treasury didn’t hold gold or diamonds. They didn’t even deal with physical paper anymore. Instead, they issued government bonds electronically, offering modest annual returns of 2—3%.

“If you want real treasure,” Jack said,” you need to try the stock market. Buy the right stocks at the opening bell. And by the closing bell, you might be a millionaire. How does that sound?”

“Money is freedom,” I replied.” Your voice sounds like the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.”

When I asked for stock recommendations, Jack reminded me that TD Ameritrade was a discount brokerage.

“We don’t give advice,” we only take your money.

Undeterred, I searched for stocks myself. I decided to buy Lehman Brothers stocks. The name “Brothers” resonated with me. It evoked camaraderie and reliability. In my mind was the film Band of Brothers, which I had recently watched. I bought their shares at $40 each.

Two weeks later, the stock price plummeted to $2. Soon after, it became worthless. Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, and the Great Recession was underway. While others called it “great”. I certainly didn’t feel that way. I took a second job working the night shift at a gas station to recover my losses.

“Have a good day,” I greeted a customer during a night shift.

When I looked up, I recognized him – it was Jack from TD Ameritrade.

“How are you doing?” He asked.

“Because of you, I put my ass on the line and lost all my money,” I replied bitterly.

Jack turned pale.

“I’m so sorry about your ass situation,” he said.” This time, I’ll break TD Ameritrade rules and give you advice. You need the opposite of an ass now – you need a face.”

He pulled out a photo of a smiling, intelligent face.

“Do you like this face?” He asked.

“Of course!” I spoke.

“This is a genius. I recommend you buy his stock.”

I took his advice, bought the stocks, and, over time, recovered. Now, I’m doing well. I had my adventure, and I found my treasure. The lesson? Never give up – because with determination, the sky’s the limit.