Jason Calacanis: Money is Bored
on Wednesday, August 14, 2019Jason Calacanis Money Quote saying nobody should be astonished by big bets, big spending or big losses in the startup world – simply because there is a lot of money around. Jason Calacanis said:
“They’re bored. The Money is bored, money wants to burn. Money wants to be spent. Money does not want to sit in a safe. Money is intended to be gambled. Put it on black, spin the wheel. Let’s see what happens” — Jason Calacanis
In this quote, Jason Calacanis seems to be suggesting that wealth, once accumulated, is meant to be put back into circulation rather than simply stored away safely. He portrays money as something active, not passive – as something that “wants” and intends certain outcomes. By saying money is “bored” and wants “to burn”, he implies it is meant to be spent, invested, gambled or otherwise put at risk for potential growth and return, rather than sitting idle.
The metaphor of putting it “on black” or “spinning the wheel” reinforces the idea that money enjoys and thrives on risk, adventure and the possibility of multiplying itself, not stagnating in low-risk security. His view seems to be that wealth is most vibrant, impactful and fulfilling when it is actively generating more wealth through entrepreneurial risk-taking rather than when it is passively preserved and conserved in a “safe”.