[Ads-l] Family of Quips: How Do You Make a Small Fortune Doing X? Start With a Large Fortune

Sun Nov 19 06:23:41 UTC 2023

A family of jokes emphasizes the unforgiving economics of risky or
expensive activities. Here are four examples:

(1) How do you make a small fortune in social media? Start out with a large one.

(2) The surest way to make a small fortune in the commodity market is
to start with a large one.

(3) It's easy to make a small fortune in Las Vegas . . . start with a large one.

(4) You can end up with a small fortune in the winery business
provided you start out with a large fortune.

George Thompson told me about the first item above that occurred in an
x-twitter message from Elon Musk dated November 17, 2022. George noted
that similar quips had been constructed years earlier about producing
Broadway shows, owning racehorses, and other activities. He suggested
that it would be an interesting topic to explore.

Now there is a Quote Investigator article.
Quote Origin: How Do You Make a Small Fortune in a Risky Domain? Start
With a Large Fortune
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2023/11/19/small-fortune/

The earliest member of this family I have found appeared in February
1950 within the syndicated newspaper column of Earl Wilson. The quip
was credited to the popular singer Leo Fuld. The remark was about the
high cost of living in England and not about a risky activity.

[ref] 1950 February 9, Courier-Post, It Happened Last Night by Earl
Wilson, Quote Page 41, Column 3, Camden, New Jersey. (Newspapers_com)
[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
TODAY'S BEST LAUGH: Leo Fuld, the Dutch singer who's become a big hit
in England, asks: "Know how to go to England on a visit and leave with
a small fortune? . . . Go there with a large fortune."
[End excerpt]

The next match was about gambling on horse racing in Hialeah, Florida.
The punchline was attributed to an unnamed wit from Miami, Florida:

[ref] 1950 April 12, The Cincinnati Enquirer, John Garretson, Quote
Page 2, Column 2, Cincinnati, Ohio. (Newspapers_com) [/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
During the races one afternoon this winter, this chap was talking to a
friend from the North in the grandstand at Hialeah and he told him
that he knew a sure-fire way that this man could leave Florida with a
small fortune every winter.
"How can I do that?" the man from the North asked.
"Come down here with a big one," the Miamian replied.
[End excerpt]

Barry Popik has also investigated this topic. His website is currently
down. I think Barry found citations beginning in March 1951.I stored
part of the pertinent webpage years ago when I performed a preliminary
search.

Feedback welcome
Garson O’Toole

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