Ghost Mail Weekender

Happy Sunday Voornaam,

Silly season is officially upon us! And how better to celebrate it than with a story of a very expensive banana?
In case you missed the headlines, Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun kept his promise to eat a $6.2 million (R112 million) artwork he purchased last week. The artwork in question? Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous Comedian, which is literally a banana duct-taped to a gallery wall. That’s it. That’s the entire artwork. The piece originally made headlines (and created plenty of confused faces) in 2019. Sun outbid six others at Sotheby’s in New York to claim this quirky piece of modern art.
Sun then ate the banana during a press conference in Hong Kong, using the moment to draw a cheeky parallel between the artwork’s fleeting nature and the volatility of cryptocurrency. It seems the man really knows how to peel back the layers of symbolism - or maybe he was just hungry.
In case you're wondering, the banana itself isn’t eternal - it’s swapped out regularly for exhibitions, because even high-concept art has a shelf life. The particular banana that Sun ate was bought for 35 cents on the morning of the auction. Sun’s $6.2 million didn’t just buy him bragging rights, but also the legal ability to display the installation, complete with a detailed manual on how to replace the fruit. Sounds handy.
It also bought him plenty of exposure as someone who has made enough money that he can afford a $6.2 million banana. These kind of things help your phone ring with new opportunities. Think of it as taking out the Super Bowl halftime ad, but for yourself.
And for those who feel ready to decry the point of modern art with an exasperated “Even I could have made that”, we would like to remind you that the artist's response to that would be “Yeah, but you didn’t”.
Speaking of modern art and creative interpretations of things, Dominique Olivier's column this week is on a group of hills in Bosnia that have been rebranded as pyramids by an entrepreneur who enjoys alternative approaches to life. Of course, the fact that Novak Djokovic is a regular visitor to these "pyramids" isn't bad for business. Read about this rather outrageous story at this link>>>
For further entertainment, read on for stories of Barney terrorising the neighbourhood (in balloon form) and Fast Facts about predictions for how technology will change the world.
Have a lovely day and enjoy what we've brought you!

The Finance Ghost (follow on X) | Dominique Olivier (connect on LinkedIn)

Novak Djokovic: pyramid-powered?

No love for Barney in New York

TL;DR: With our friends in North America having just wrapped up their Thanksgiving celebrations, it’s time to tell the story of the most memorable Thanksgiving Day Parade in history.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a beloved New York spectacle, is renowned for its gigantic (think in the ballpark of 20 metres tall), helium-filled balloons of popular characters. The balloon concept, launched in 1927 by artist Tony Sarg, has delighted generations of onlookers and become somewhat of a Thanksgiving Day tradition. But in 1997, the parade became memorable for all the wrong reasons when Mother Nature joined the party - and she did not RSVP.
That year’s lineup was impressive: 17 giant balloons, 18 novelty balloons, 7 float-balloon hybrids (comically called “falloons”), 21 floats, 14 marching bands, 44 teams of clowns and over 1,200 balloon handlers. It had all the makings of a perfect day… with the exception of wind gusts topping 69 km/h. Despite weather warnings, Macy’s officials, either optimistically or overconfidently, decided to keep the balloons flying. The rest, as they say, is history.
The chaos began when the Pink Panther balloon went rogue at Broadway and 42nd Street. An NYPD officer, clearly channeling his inner John McClane, sliced into its tail with a blade to stabilise it, scattering pink rubber shrapnel into the crowd like bizarre party confetti. The balloon collapsed onto its handlers, reportedly leaving at least one unconscious.
Not to be outdone, Barney the Dinosaur made his dramatic exit at 51st Street. After a close encounter with a lamppost, the giant purple menace deflated onto its handlers, one of whom later told reporters, “Everything turned purple.” NYPD officers, likely eager to vent their own frustrations from hours of suffering through Barney with their kids, swarmed the fallen balloon, stabbing and stomping it into submission in an effort to remove its remaining helium. The crowd, proving that humans really can find joy in anything, erupted into cheers of elation. The "Barney murder" was caught on camera and has since become an enduring internet sensation, partly fueled by the public’s unanimous hatred for Barney.
The day’s biggest drama unfolded at 72nd Street and Central Park West. The Cat in the Hat balloon, a six-story high behemoth, struck a lamppost arm twice, sending it crashing into the crowd. Four people were injured, including one who spent 24 days in a coma with a life-threatening skull fracture. The Cat in the Hat and the Quik Bunny balloons were hastily retired from the parade, victims of both the wind and questionable common sense.
In the aftermath of the chaotic event, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani formed a task force to prevent future parade pandemonium. Macy’s also revamped its approach, introducing balloon handler training courses complete with geometry lessons and gym memberships, hiring a dedicated meteorologist, and banning oversized balloons. Beloved icons like the Cat in the Hat, Pink Panther, and Woody Woodpecker were retired, their dimensions deemed too risky for urban airshows. In preparation for future events, lamppost arms were removed, trees were trimmed, and balloons were tethered to heavy vehicles instead of flimsy human arms, with police officers standing by to ground them if necessary.
By 1998, the parade was safer, but it had lost some of its anarchic charm. The 1997 parade remains a legendary chapter in Macy’s history - proof that even a well-oiled tradition can descend into slapstick comedy with the right amount of wind.
PS: the woman who had her skull fractured and spent 24 days in a medically induced coma went on to sue Macy’s, the city of New York and the manufacturer of the lamp post that struck her. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Years later, she was in court again after an airplane engine fell through the roof of her apartment. What are the odds?

Dominique's fast facts: Future Vision

An assortment of facts that will take you only a minute to read.

Based on an article written for the World Economic Forum, here are a number of predictions by experts on how technology will change the world in 2025. Note that this article was written in 2020, so all of these experts were speculating half a decade into the future. Do you reckon they got it right?
In 2025:

… “carbon footprints will be viewed as socially unacceptable, much like drunk driving is today. Public attention will drive government policy and behavioural changes, with carbon footprints becoming a subject of worldwide scrutiny. Individuals, companies and countries will seek the quickest and most affordable ways to achieve net-zero – the elimination of their carbon footprint.”

… “quantum computing will have outgrown its infancy, and a first generation of commercial devices will be able tackle meaningful, real-world problems.”

… “consumers will be more aware of the importance of their underlying health and will increasingly demand healthier food to help support their natural defences. Armed with a much deeper understanding of nutrition, the global food industry can respond by offering a broader range of product options to support optimal health outcomes.”

… “the line between physical space and virtual will forever be blurred. We’ll start to see capabilities for global events - from SXSW to the Glastonbury Festival - to provide fully digitalised alternatives, beyond simple live streaming into full experiences.”

… “CO2 removal will be scaled up to the gigaton-level, and will become the responsible option for removing unavoidable emissions from the air. It will empower individuals to have a direct and climate-positive impact on the level of CO2 in the atmosphere.”

… “improvements in AI will finally put access to wealth creation within reach of the masses. Tens of millions of people won’t have to know modern portfolio theory to be able to have their money work for them.”