When I went into the business, I sat down and figured that…
““When I went into the business, I sat down and figured that I was indeed one of fortune's children. Just think. There were 20 million buffalo, each worth at least $3 -- $60 million. At the very outside, cartridges cost 25 cents each, so every time I fired one I got my investment back twelve times over. I could kill a hundred a day… That would be $6,000 a month -- or three times what was paid, it seems to me, the President of the United States. Was I not lucky that I discovered this quick and easy way to fortune? I thought I was.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker boasts about a lucrative, seemingly easy venture involving buffalo hunting, reflecting a mindset of opportunistic capitalism and moral ambiguity.
In simple terms: He saw massive profit in hunting buffalo.
Key Takeaway
Consider ethical implications of profit.
Themes
capitalism
opportunity
ethics
historical
wealth
exploitation
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
quote
historical anecdote
When to use this quote
- business strategy
- environmental policy
- personal finance
Key Concepts
economics
moral philosophy
historical context
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the moral costs of such profit?
- How would modern law view this activity?