More Than 300 Years Ago Isaac Newton Nearly Went Broke Trading Stocks

Isaac Newton once tried to trade the stock market.

It did not go well. He tried buying a shipping stock called the South Sea Trading Company. That stock turned out to be one of the biggest bubbles in modern history.

He said this about his experience:

“I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.” — Sir Isaac Newton

So how bad was it? Here’s what happened to him: