Robert Sarnoff: Disappearing Finance

Posted by admin on Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Robert W. Sarnoff Money Quote defining finance as an activity whose goal is to spread currency to it’s maximum end and as far as it can travel. Robert W. Sarnoff said:
 

 

“Finance: the art of passing currency from hand to hand until it finally disappears” — Robert W. Sarnoff

 

 

In this quote, Robert W. Sarnoff is satirically describing the concept of finance or the movement of money. His definition of finance as “the art of passing currency from hand to hand until it finally disappears” suggests that the purpose of financial activities like trading, lending, and investing is merely to continually shift money between different people or entities, rather than create any real value.

Sarnoff implies that much of modern finance involves the circulation of funds for its own sake, with money changing hands repeatedly but ultimately being drained from the system as it passes through many intermediaries. The quote conveys a critical view of finance as an art form focused on ephemeral movement of currency rather than long-term growth or tangible benefits. It characterizes much of the finance industry as temporarily shifting money around until it vanishes from view.

Birthday: July 2, 1918 – Death: February 23, 1997