The God of Wealth Who Makes Fortunes Rise and Fall

People worship the God of Wealth to pray for riches and treasure. But Fan Li, the real God of Wealth, was famous for giving his riches away. After helping King Goujian of Yue destroy Wu, Fan Li retired at the height of his success and sailed across the Five Lakes. He left behind a famous saying: “Of the seven strategies devised by Jiran, Yue used five and prospered. Having applied them to the state, I now wish to apply them to my family.” By using the art of governing a state to conduct business, he showed that he understood the true nature of wealth: it is not gold and silver to be hoarded, but energy that must keep flowing. The first time he gave away his wealth, he resigned as supreme general and left with only a small amount of jewelry. The second time, under the name Chiyi Zipi, he made a fortune farming the sea in Qi and was appointed chancellor. Yet he lamented, “To enjoy a great reputation for too long invites misfortune.” He returned his seal of office and distributed his family’s wealth among his neighbors. The third time, in Dingtao, he called himself Tao Zhugong and once again grew immensely rich, taking advantage of its strategic location at “the center of the world.” Over nineteen years, he amassed a fortune of ten thousand gold pieces three times, each time giving it away to poor friends and distant relatives. On the surface, these were three losses. In truth, each time he gave everything away, Fan Li gained something more valuable: goodwill, trust, security, and freedom. He understood that “when wealth is hoarded, the people disperse; when wealth is shared, the people gather.” What he gave away was tangible wealth; what he gained in return was an intangible network of connections and business goodwill. Sima Qian praised him for being “rich and generous in practicing virtue,” while folk tradition made him the God of Wealth. The real God of Wealth teaches us not to hoard money, but to keep wealth in circulation. Wealth that is gathered but never shared is dead; wealth that is shared and gathered again is a living stream. Fan Li gathered and gave away his wealth three times in his life. He gave away money and gathered the Way. Perhaps that is what wealth looks like in its truest form.