Our Golden Year

Welcome all to the inaugural Funny Money newsletter! 

We barely survived another election season, and no matter who you voted for, there was one clear winner - Gold! 

We put together some talk about humanity’s prettiest commodity during a time of huge economic shifts so you can work this tried-and-true investment into your portfolio.

BBC: Bulk Bullion Craze

TLDR: In a sign of the times, Costco shoppers are now hoarding gold bars as if they were Kirkland-brand toilet paper during the pandemic, pointing to a rising distrust in traditional money.

Dollars and Cents

• Costco introduced 24-karat 1 oz. gold bars to its members last year

• The gold bars have been incredibly popular, with Costco making $200 million per month in sales

• Due to high demand, Costco has started offering platinum bars as well

• The surge in gold bar purchases reflects consumer distrust in traditional financial systems and a desire for stable investments amid inflation

• Gold prices have increased by 31.72% year-to-date

• Experts believe gold's popularity will continue due to potential interest rate cuts and geopolitical tensions.

Gold is the new black.  In our increasingly dystopian reality, a gold bar could sit next to 10 pounds of ground beef and an 85-inch TV in your cart.  Due to geopolitical tensions, loss of faith in the economy, and how good it looks in a Cuban link chain, gold is seeing huge increases. Regardless of this precious metal's investment potential, we will undoubtedly see even more shady Cash 4 Gold stores popping up on the outskirts of town.

California Gold Rush Reboot

TLDR: California “White Gold” sounds like a strain of sativa you’d find in one of their dispensaries, but it actually refers to a giant deposit of lithium sitting at the bottom of the Sultan Sea, a Californian lake.

Dollars and Cents

• Scientists discovered 18 million tons of lithium, worth around $540 billion, at the bottom of California's Salton Sea.

• This discovery could make the US self-sufficient in lithium, reducing dependence on imports, particularly from China.

• This lithium could power over 382 million EV batteries, more than the number of electric vehicles currently on US roads today.

• US-based companies like Tesla and Rivian could benefit from domestic lithium sources, reducing costs and increasing competitiveness.

• This is very similar to a deposit of lithium found dissolved in an underground lake in Arkansas, estimated to be between 5 and 19 million tons

Do you even “lith” bro? Control over the lithium supply will only become more critical in our increasingly technological future.  Lithium is not just an amazing Nirvana song but the material powering the rechargeable batteries in everything from computers to coffee mugs.  Decreasing our reliance on lithium from China and other competing nations, this unearthed deposit is the largest stash of lithium found in America since the DEA invaded my underground schizophrenia clinic.

Chart of the Week

This graph looks similar to my anxiety level over the last year but actually shows the last 12 months of gold prices in US dollars per gram.

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China’s Got Gold Outside of the Olympics

TLDR: Not to be outdone by California, China found a cave with potentially 1,000 tons of gold, which is enough to meet the Italian-American gold chain demand for 3-5 years.

Dollars and Cents 

• Chinese geologists discovered a gold deposit worth $83 billion in Hunan Province.

• This discovery is so massive that it is considered a “superlarge” deposit. It was found underneath Wangu field in Pingjiang County.

• This find was made using 3D geological modeling and other advanced prospecting technologies to locate the gold almost 2,000 meters down.

• This deposit could significantly boost China's gold reserves and enhance its resource security.

A Chinese Golden Cave Dive isn’t just a secret menu item from a massage parlor. Geological discoveries of epic proportions have recently happened in many corners of the globe. The massive caches are being found with improved technology and AI, helping geologists locate these resources without digging first. Huge discoveries like these can make big waves in the global economy, and we are only just scratching the surface, hoping to find even more of these necessary resources right underneath our feet.

“Gold is money. Everything else is credit.” 

-John Pierpont Morgan Sr.

Money Talks

If you could go back to 2020, before the last election, what investment would you make?

Let us know what you would do differently, even if it might involve making different life choices instead of an investment. We look forward to sharing your answers in a future newsletter! mlrch-787d3ec375b58da4

May the cash flow always be in your favor,

Andrew and Lou - the Funny Money team