What "The Dark Knight Rises" Teaches About Money
Dumb Money, Smart Money
Do you really know what to do with money?
If you’ve seen the movie “The Dark Knight Rises” you might appreciate this scene. It is one of my favorite scenes of all time.
If you haven’t, there is a brief spoiler ahead. But there is a moment where John Daggett (a skinny man in a suit and tie) walks up to Bane (a very large intimidating evil man with superhuman strength) and starts attempting to establish authority over Bane because he has given “a lot of money” to fund Bane’s evil projects.
Bane (played by Tom Hardy) gently places the pinky side of his hand on the shoulder of John and says “Do you feel in charge?” You can find the clip on any search engine to get a visual.
But this scene has always stuck with me because it provides such a powerful message tied to money: that money can only take you so far. Although the scene itself establishes that money doesn’t necessarily buy you power over evil, I think the more relatable message is that having money will only take you so far.
And it’s a common challenge when it comes to dumb money vs smart money. This isn’t an intelligence thing. You could have a very smart person throwing money into a business that is doomed to fail because they know very little about the company or deal. For example, a bored and wealthy doctor who attempts to break into the hotel business. And you could have another person who might not seem all that exceptional in subjective terms who is able to take a small investment of just a few thousand dollars and transform it into an empire over many years.
Money makes things easier to figure out and attracts more opportunities your way. But aside from the obvious spending on food, luxury goods, and experiences, there are few people who truly know how to grow money well. Some people say they would start a company, but the truth is, aside from building the initial product, they would quickly get stuck at the hiring phase, or growth phase, and beyond without the right advisors.
And if we even eliminate the money factor, thinking back to Bane, money is but a catalyst. But if you attempt to throw it at something you don’t understand, you might be doomed to fail. But find the right intersection of knowledge, action, and money and you’ve got yourself some major opportunities!