A young Swedish woman, who described herself as exceptionally beautiful and highly seductive, posted an anonymous ad on Craigslist. She was looking for a wealthy man to marry, specifically someone with an annual income of over $500,000, along with a few other conditions.
In response, a commenter, identifying himself as a professional investor, replied as follows:
- My dear beautiful lady,
I read your post with interest, and I think many beautiful girls have similar thoughts to yours. Allow me to analyze your request from a business standpoint. My annual income is over $500,000, so I meet your financial requirements.
However, from my perspective as a businessman, it would be a poor decision for me to marry you. Here’s my short answer, and I’ll explain why:
“Regardless of the details, what you’re proposing is essentially a transaction. You offer your beauty in exchange for my money.”
In this scenario, Person A has beauty, and Person B pays for it. It’s a straightforward exchange. However, there’s a crucial problem: your beauty will inevitably fade over time, whereas my wealth is likely to grow.
From an economic viewpoint, I represent an asset that appreciates over time, while you represent a consumable asset that depreciates. If your beauty is your only asset, the situation will worsen because, unlike regular consumer products, your beauty will depreciate at a much faster rate and will lose its value within 10 years.