7/21/2025
By Charles Payne, CEO & Principal Analyst

Marcus Licinius Crassus was born to a moderately wealthy family in modern-day Spain, which initially funded his ambitions. According to Plutarch, a Greek historian, Crassus' wealth grew exponentially through his real estate portfolio.

He had ownership of the first ever private fire department, which operated in crowded, poorer parts of Rome, where a single fire could destroy an entire neighborhood if not contained quickly. Crassus’ fire brigades would arrive at a home ablaze or in the path of a fast-moving fire and negotiate the purchase. The longer the owner waited, the more the home was consumed and the lower the subsequent offer.

Hence, the term “Fire Sales.”

Crassus desired fame and power along with riches, so he funded the “First Triumvirate” to circumvent the rules of the Republic. Ultimately, he needed military glory to achieve the status he desired, so he chose to attack the Parthian Empire.

His lack of military skills proved fateful, and he suffered a mighty defeat at the Battle of Carrhae. According to legend, he was executed by having molten gold poured down his throat, signifying his relentless greed and abomination. When reports of this execution reached Rome, people cheered and celebrated.

Wall Street Takes a Page from Crassus

Over the weekend, Axios published a story about how prominent Wall Street firms made a killing from “tariff chaos.” What was missing was that Wall Street was responsible for the chaos with unrelenting fear-mongering.   In this respect, they took a page from Crauss by creating a “Fire Sale.”

Unlike Crassus, Wall Street reaps in the gold and silver because it never truly lost.

To read the full report, contact your account representative or email Info@wstreet.com.

Charles Payne
Wall Street Strategies

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