Ghost Mail Weekender

Happy Sunday Voornaam,

We’ve been following the rather entertaining story that’s unfolding on X as Cybertruck owner Blaine Raddon is battling to convince Elon Musk to let him either sell or return his brand new vehicle. Here's the thread.
Raddon had no problem leaving the showroom floor, but upon arriving home, he discovered that the Cybertruck is actually too large to navigate the complex he lives in. Stuck for options (we’re guessing the homeowners' association wasn’t too keen on widening the gate), Raddon drove back to the dealership, only to be told that a) Tesla is not interested in taking the vehicle back and b) as per a clause in the purchasing contract he signed, he is not allowed to sell the vehicle in his first year of ownership.
The punishment for a sneaky secondhand sale? A fine of $50,000 or the value received for the sale, whichever is greater. Ouch.
Of course the internet is having a full go at poor Raddon here, asking why a man who can afford a $100,000 vehicle doesn’t possess a $2 tape measure. Honestly, we’re not sure that Raddon has a leg to stand on here. His best hope is probably to continue @-ing Elon on X and begging for a sliver of mercy.
This kind of customer-bullying obviously got us thinking back to this Hermes article from a couple of weeks ago. Isn’t it interesting that Hermes goes to so much effort to control who is allowed to buy their famous Birkin bags, but has no structure in place to curb the immediate resale of those same bags? In fact, the reselling of Birkins is so prevalent that entire businesses have sprung up just to satisfy that need. Tesla has certainly taken a different approach.
If you're curious about electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them, then you'll probably enjoy the latest episode of The Current, a podcast by Investec that is hosted by Iman Rappetti. In the latest episode, the discussion is around South Africa's solar boom and the impact of decreased load shedding. Listen to it here>>>
It's been a pretty wild week of headlines in South Africa, so allow Dominique Olivier to transport you to another world: the craziness of planned protests in Paris around the Olympics. The best part is that a potential mass...um...defecation into the Seine isn't even the craziest story to come from the Olympics. The absolutely bonkers Men's Marathon in the 1904 Olympics could well hold that honour. Find out why in this great article>>>
We also bring you a story of an incredible art forgery expert, as well as five fast facts on unusual ways to make money.
Thanks for allowing us to entertain you on this Sunday morning. Have a great day!
PS: check out Dominique's brand new website for her business human.writer - if you need help telling your brand story or making your content more interesting, you know who to contact.
The Finance Ghost (follow on X) | Dominique Olivier (connect on LinkedIn)

Fake it 'til you make it (or get arrested)

TL:DR: In the wake of WWII, Dutch painter Han van Meegeren was arrested for selling a painting by Vermeer to Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. He talked himself out of the noose by confessing that the painting he sold was, in fact, his own forgery.
Born on October 10, 1889, in Deventer, Netherlands, Han van Meegeren showed a knack for art from a young age. Despite his father’s disapproval, he followed his passion and studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, where he fell in love with the work of Dutch Golden Age painters, especially Johannes Vermeer.
Although he was obviously talented, Van Meegeren’s early career wasn’t smooth sailing. Ironically, critics panned his work as unoriginal, which pushed him toward a path of revenge. Determined to prove his worth, he turned to forgery, meticulously studying and replicating the techniques of old masters like Vermeer and Hals. By the 1920s, he had honed his craft to the point where his forgeries could fool even the most seasoned experts.
His first major forgery, "The Supper at Emmaus," debuted in 1937. Van Meegeren used authentic 17th-century canvases and handcrafted pigments, even baking his paintings to create the appearance of centuries-old cracks. The painting was celebrated as a masterpiece and snapped up by the Boymans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, kickstarting his run of success.
Emboldened by this victory, Van Meegeren churned out more forgeries, including works he claimed were by Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch. These skillful deceptions were sold to prestigious collectors and institutions the world over, including Hermann Göring, the Nazi leader, who apparently traded 137 looted paintings for Van Meegeren’s forged Vermeer.
Of course, that particular sale would eventually lead to Van Meegeren’s undoing.
After World War II, Allied forces recovered looted art, including the Vermeer in Göring’s possession. Tracing it back to Van Meegeren, authorities arrested him in 1945 for collaboration with the Nazis, a serious charge that could lead to his execution. To save himself, Van Meegeren confessed that the Vermeer was a forgery, along with several others. Sceptical authorities demanded proof, so Van Meegeren did the only thing he could: he painted another "Vermeer" in front of witnesses, confirming his claims.
Van Meegeren’s trial in 1947 was a sensation. Found guilty of forgery and fraud, he received a light sentence of one year in prison, partly due to public fascination with his talent and his ability to cheat the Nazis. He went to jail as a national hero and died in December 1947, shortly after his sentencing.
A big part of Van Meegeren’s success was his ability to replicate not just the look but also the methods of the old masters. He used authentic materials, mixed his own pigments, and employed techniques to mimic ageing. This attention to detail ensured his forgeries could pass scientific scrutiny.
Over the course of his life, Van Meegeren’s forgeries had earned him between 5.5 and 7.5 million guilders. He used this money to purchase a large amount of real estate, jewellery and works of art (obviously, only originals by the masters). In a 1946 interview, he told Marie Louise Doudart de la Grée that he owned 52 houses and 15 country houses around Laren, among them several grachtenhuizen or mansions along Amsterdam's canals.
And they say crime doesn’t pay.

Olympic fever and other ailments

Dominique's fast facts: Unusual ways to make money

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

Throwing a basketball. Dude Perfect, a group of YouTubers known for trick basketball shots, just landed a $100m+ investment to expand their business. The cash infusion will fuel more videos, more live experiences and presumably, the purchase of many more basketballs.

​Naming a Chinese baby. Following a chance encounter while on a business trip through Asia with her father, teenager Beau Jessop started a website that helps Chinese parents choose Western names for their babies. She’s been running the business since she was 15 and has made more than $400,000 to date - enough to put herself through college.

Being a friend. RentAFriend.com is a website that exists to help those who are lacking companionship. All you really need to get started is a nice personality and a warm smile. Your clients will pay you by the hour to do anything from walking through a park with them to attending a special event or concert.

Dieting. Shedding kilos can also mean big capital gains with websites like HealthyWage. You set your weight loss goal and then wager a dollar amount of your choice that you’ll be successful. If you hit your goal, you win prize money and receive your initial investment back. However, failing to hit your goal means losing your wager and paying in instead.

Changing a light bulb. Every 6 months, a man named Kevin Schmidt in South Dakota climbs 457 metres to change a bulb at the top of a TV tower. He gets paid $20,000 per climb. Have a look at him in action here before you weigh in on whether or not you would be willing to do the same.