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In the 1920s, he decided that it was cheaper to drill for…

“In the 1920s, he decided that it was cheaper to drill for oil than to buy the overvalued shares of other oil companies. After the 1929 stock market crash, he completely changed tack; he saw that oil shares were selling at a great discount to assets, and he turned to prospecting for oil on the…” quote by Daniel Yergin
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““In the 1920s, he decided that it was cheaper to drill for oil than to buy the overvalued shares of other oil companies. After the 1929 stock market crash, he completely changed tack; he saw that oil shares were selling at a great discount to assets, and he turned to prospecting for oil on the floor of the stock exchange—in””

Daniel Yergin

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He shifted from buying overvalued oil stocks to drilling because it was cheaper, then later prospecting on the exchange floor after the crash when shares were cheap.

In simple terms: He changed strategies to profit from cheaper oil drilling and undervalued shares.

Key Takeaway

Adapt tactics to market conditions.

Themes

strategy economics risk resource management

Mood

reflective analytical pragmatic

Type

advice historical business

When to use this quote

  • investment decisions
  • energy industry
  • financial crises
  • business pivots

Key Concepts

valuation market cycles asset allocation

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you assess when to change a business model?
  • What signals indicate a market is undervalued?
A Different Perspective

Cheaper drilling may still involve high capital risk and uncertainty.

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