How much money did Harry Potter have and what did he spend it on?

Potter fans have calculated how much the candy from the Hogwarts Express cost and compiled a list of the most expensive things in the saga.

Harry Potter could afford the most expensive magical items. Photo from the site: en.wikipedia.org

Reddit user under the nickname aubieismyhomie calculated the cost of magical items from Harry Potter. To do this, he first calculated the exchange rate of wizarding currencies in relation to Muggle money, in particular the dollar.

For the calculations, he took gold galleons, silver shekels and bronze knuts and the average cost of non-magical things that were bought with this money. It turned out that a knut is equal to approximately 5 cents, a shekel (29 knuts) is equal to 1.5 dollars, and a galleon (17 shekels) is 25 dollars.

If you convert the magic money into rubles (at the Central Bank exchange rate as of February 9, 2015, 1 dollar is equal to 76.86 rubles), the following figures come out: 1 knut is equal to approximately 4 rubles, 1 shekel is 111 rubles, and a galleon is about 1900 rubles.

Remember when Dobby the house elf came to Dumbledore and asked for a job? He was given a position in the kitchen for 10 Galleons ($250) a week and two days off a month, but Dobby replied that 1 Galleon ($25) a week and one day off a month would be enough for him!

Let's calculate the cost of magic items. For example, a magic wand cost an average of 13,500 rubles, candy on the Hogwarts Express sold for 1,250 rubles, a trip on the Night Knight bus cost Harry 1,220 rubles, and butterbeer at the Hog's Head cost 220 rubles.

The most expensive things from Harry Potter:

— unicorn hair — 19,000 rubles;
— unicorn horn — 40,000 rubles;
- three omniglasses that Harry bought during the Quidditch World Cup - 57,000 rubles;
- cursed necklace - more than 2,500,000 rubles.

The parents left the young wizard an impressive fortune: Harry Potter turned out to be a millionaire! From his parents and uncle he received 1,265,625 dollars, or 97,275,937 rubles.

You will get almost three times more if you win the super prize of the Gosloto “6 out of 45” lottery - more than 280,000,000 rubles! Just imagine how many magical pests you can buy at Weasley's shop if you end up in Diagon Alley! And with this money you can afford a new apartment, a car, a trip around the world and much more. Whatever you want!

Hurry up to place your lucky bet in Gosloto “6 out of 45” at lottery kiosks in your city, in Euroset communication stores, Svyaznoy stores and MegaFon sales offices, post offices, on the website of the online lottery supermarket www.site , as well as in the Stoloto and SMS-Stavka mobile applications.

*Accio (from Latin Accio) - a spell that attracts an object

As you well know, wizards do not use Muggle money, but have their own currency.
Magic currency is represented by coins of three types (Galleons, Sickles and Knuts).
In the first book, Hagrid explains their ratio (1 galleon = 17 shekels = 493 knuts), but does not even mention the exchange rate between wizard and muggle money.

But Reddit user aubieismyhomie decided to find out no matter what, and to this end, he went through books to find out how much this or that item cost by wizarding standards, so that he could then compare them with similar items from the Muggle world.
For example, in the first book, on the train, Harry bought a handful of sweets for 11 shekels and 7 knuts.
Other expenses mentioned:
Ride in the Night Knight: 11 shekels
Hot chocolate: 2 shekels
Bottle of water and toothbrush: 2 shekels
Butterbeer: 2 shekels
Textbook "Advanced Potions Course": 9 Galleons

Based on this data, aubieismyhomie calculated the approximate exchange rate between the two currencies.

Thus, a glass of butterbeer costs $3 (the same price as a mug of hot chocolate at the Night Knight). And the total cost of the candy that Harry bought on the train was $18. On average, a textbook on magical sciences cost him $175.
This also means that when Fred and George decided to play a prank on their brother (an episode in their store), they asked for a price of $250.
Harry's wand from Ollivander cost $175, which is quite good, considering the phoenix feather it contains and the wide capabilities of this magical item.
Dobby's weekly salary was 1 Galleon, or $25.

It may not be that much, but remember, Dumbledore originally offered him the full 10 Galleons a week.
The bounty on Harry's head in the film is 10,000 Galleons, although in the book it is 100,000. This means that Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic valued the Boy Who Lived at $250,000, or $2,500,000 in the movie/book respectively. Let’s admit, the book is closer to us, so we’ll estimate Harry at two and a half million; Rowling earned much more from him.
An issue of the Daily Prophet could be purchased for between 5 and 25 cents.

Harry bought a copy for 5 knuts, while Hermione only cost 1.
In the Chamber of Secrets, the Weasleys completely emptied their safe, which contained "wealth" consisting of 1 Galleon and a bunch of Sickles. We estimate their condition at $50-75. At the same time, with this modest budget, they needed to purchase books, robes, a wand for Ginny, and so on.


Now it is clear what a heavy burden the fine of 50 Galleons for flying in a Ford Anglia turned out to be for the family.
At the World Cup, Harry spent 750 on 3 omnioculars (himself, Hermione and Ron). Therefore, they agreed that Harry would not give them anything for Christmas for the next 10 years. In addition, he gave Fred and George $25,000 to open the store - that was his winnings from winning the Goblet of Fire.

About how the economy of fictional worlds works. Now we have studied the investment opportunities of heroes of popular fantasy sagas and found out whether it is worth putting savings into the Iron Bank and whether it is wise to invest in the development of new technologies if you are the husband of Princess Leia.

"Harry Potter": metal accounts and his own business for the Boy Who Lived

After the victory over Voldemort in the magical world of Harry Potter, calm times came on the shadow side of Great Britain - the psychological tension was lifted, the economy returned to normal. Harry sends his children to first grade, works at the Ministry of Magic, and lectures on Defense Against the Dark Arts at his alma mater, Hogwarts.

As we know, Harry inherited from his parents only money and no other property, with the exception, perhaps, of the invisibility cloak. In order to have an idea of ​​the cost of living in the world of Harry Potter, let's look at the recalculation of the cost of some things from the wizarding world. In the world of magic, there is its own currency - gold galleons, silver shekels and copper knuts, which have a ratio of 1:17:493 to each other. At the time Harry was studying at Hogwarts, 1 Galleon was valued at approximately 5 British pounds. If we assume that in cell No. 687 of Gringotts, which belonged to the Potter family, there were 100,000 Galleons, then in terms of rubles at today's exchange rate this will be 47.5 million rubles (if the recalculation is carried out at the rate for 2005, then we will receive a slightly smaller, but still impressive amount of 26 million rubles). A wizard's wand costs surprisingly little - 7 galleons, that is, about 3,500 rubles, magic binoculars bought by Harry at the Quidditch World Cup - 10 galleons, or almost 5,000 rubles, travel on the Night Knight bus - along with a blanket, a heating pad and cocoa will cost only 30 shekels, that is, 200 rubles.

From the moment Harry first walked through the threshold of Gringotts Bank and learned of his wealth, his funds had dwindled. Part of this money was spent on training needs, expenses during trips and trips, gifts, and everyday household expenses. In addition, a fairly large sum was given to the founding of the Weasley twins' store, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. After school, Harry probably made some large purchases, donated considerable sums to charity, and provided for his family.

Rapidly rising inflation during the period of struggle with the opposition group of dark wizards also ate up a significant part of Potter's inheritance. Therefore, we can safely assume that by the time Harry's children went to school, more than half of the inheritance had been spent. Nevertheless, we have a fairly large amount of savings left.

Harry Potter has several potentially profitable investment stories that he can bring to life. The first option is quite risky - it is a kind of game on the ratio of Muggle currency to wizard currency. Money in the wizarding world also has a market value, which depends on supply and demand: the greater the demand for Muggle money, the higher its price and the greater the supply. A simple example is that during the holiday season, wizards go on vacation to Muggle lands, therefore, they massively change their currency to Muggle pounds. Growing demand can affect the rate of galleons to pounds and shift it from 1:5 slightly lower - for example, to 1:4. And this period will be the most profitable for exchanging Harry’s savings in Muggle money into magical Galleons. To do this, of course, Harry needs to purchase pounds in advance. The situation will also work in the opposite direction. In order to play currency correctly, Harry needs to monitor the political situation in the country, the actions of the “financial giant” Gringotts bank and social trends in the world of wizards.

The second and less risky option for how Harry can manage his savings is by investing in metals. Part of the savings can be converted into gold, silver and copper - they provide the currency in the magical universe. They are mined by goblins, whose representatives work at Gringotts Bank; you should consult them about this kind of investment. To a greater extent, gold and to a lesser extent, silver and copper will always be a stable and valuable asset.

Finally, Harry's third option is to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, whose savings he controls today. Grandfather Harry Flemond Potter quadrupled the family capital by inventing and patenting a hair styling product. Investing in your own business and new technologies is a good option for saving and increasing funds.

Additionally, you can think about real estate, or more precisely, about land plots that can later be given for cultivation. Laws in the wizarding world prohibit the use of magic to produce food (according to Gamp's law of elementary transfiguration, food cannot be created from nothing), so the development of agriculture will always be a relevant investment.

"Star Wars": Intergalactic Forex for Han Solo

The economic structure of the Star Wars universe is a rather complex structure, consisting of a combination of the economies of various sectors and planets. In the center there is a multi-level trading system.

Local economies can be supported by trade within one planet. A more complex level of economic interaction - interplanetary export - is based on an integrated logistics scheme that involves not only the local level of the exporting planet, but also the work of third-party private companies. In 350, before the Battle of Yavin, such companies united under the auspices of the Trade Federation to lobby and control pricing - the economy became increasingly centralized, and government influence increased. The Trade Federation had a huge impact on the economies of individual planets.

The collapse of the Trade Federation and the absorption of its assets by the Empire freed up a logistics niche in the market, which, if there was demand, was filled by a kind of “free traders” - they united in an alliance after the emergence of the new republic. Such a free trader (or, more precisely, a smuggler) was Han Solo, the husband of Princess Leia. Han Solo's activities were not always legal, but almost always profitable.

There are thousands of different currencies in use throughout the galaxy, and a single planet often has a combination of local currency, sector currency, and galactic government currency in circulation. In circulation there are coins and special chips (analogous to bank cards). The most common currency is galactic credit, which is based on the intergalactic banking clan - an organization that unites various banking companies.

It is known that standard credit is one of the most stable currencies, showing inflation at 0% for almost 4,000 years. We can assume that, in terms of conversion, one credit will be approximately equal to one dollar (for understanding, Luke sold his used spaceship for 2,000 credits, that is, approximately 140,000 rubles in today's terms, but this amount was very much underestimated).

With inflation at 0%, Han Solo doesn't have to worry about his savings that aren't being used being used up over time: the same amount of money could buy a spaceship today and 20 years from now. It is worth thinking about investments if he wants not only not to lose money, but also to increase it. Khan has several options for profitable investments - more and less exposed to risk. Knowing the nature of the Solo family, which always finds itself at the center of galactic showdowns, we can guess the preferred option.

The opportunity to make a quick profit will be provided by the intergalactic currency exchange system - an exchange on which trading of currencies in circulation from the intergalactic banking clan is carried out. The number of currencies in circulation is quite high because many planets are represented on the exchange. In order not to get confused in a complex system, Khan should find an option for automatically calculating probabilities and options for recalculating rates.

The second option is perfect for Han Solo's long-term investments in technology, namely a hyperdrive for movement at supersonic speed and the production of drones. Investments in the development and production of hyperdrives are closely related to the development of trade processes, since merchant ships with supersonic speed will be able to deliver imported goods to remote locations much faster. Investments in the second technology can bring profit, taking into account the balance of power in the political struggle and the right choice of the buyer.

"The Lord of the Rings": a tobacco empire for Sam Gamgee's family

Several decades after the events described in the books, the Shire returned to its original form. Today, the adult children of Sam Gamgee, Frodo’s faithful companion on his travels during the War of the Ring, live in it. The Shire is an independent region with an agrarian society, which is located in the eastern part of Middle-earth (the Shire is approximately the size of Croatia as we know it). Sam's children in the Shire lead a leisurely and measured lifestyle, engaged in agriculture: they grow grains and fruits, and supply timber. The most famous product of the Shire is smoking pipes; they are revered by all other peoples of Middle-earth.

The borders of the Shire were historically defended by the people of Eriador, the Númenóreans, and the patron magician Gandalf. The only strangers among the hobbits in the Shire were the dwarves who traveled on their way to the Blue Mountains along the Great East Road, and the occasional elf wanderer on the road to Mithlond. During the War of the Ring, the Shire was occupied by Saruman's supporters - along with the troops, industrialization came to the area. After the end of the war, through the efforts of the people, the natural conditions of the Shire were restored. King Aragorn of Gondor declared the Shire a free district and annexed a number of nearby lands to it.

Hobbits, the inhabitants of the Shire, do not need the help of other peoples and cross-border trade. Every inhabitant of this land is able to independently provide for himself and his family. Sam's children, at least his eldest daughter Elanor, are heirs to the fortune of their father, who, after returning home, was re-elected mayor for seven years. Elanor and her family have several options for investing their available funds.

The first and most successful is the expansion of existing production. Like all hobbits, Elanor is engaged in agriculture. The greatest demand in Middle-earth is for smoking pipes and tobacco produced in the Shire. Therefore, available funds can be invested in organizing a family factory for the production of high-quality smoking pipes and related products (accessories and various types of tobacco). At the same time as selling in industrial quantities, you can organize a private sale by setting up a small shop on the Great Eastern Route, along which the dwarves travel through the Shire.

Any investment within the district for Elanor, including real estate, will not be profitable. Investments in this situation should be aimed at trading outside. The main points that the future Elanor family cartel in the Shire should focus on are the financial center of Middle-earth Gondor and the people of the Dwarves, among whom no one is engaged in agriculture, that is, they have a demand for cultivated grains and fruits.

Littlefinger was not the most honest politician and master of coin - yes, he brought great profit to the state and the king, but at the same time he managed to make his own personal profit by turning out various financial schemes. Tyrion Lannister, who took this position after Petyr, for a long time could not understand his predecessor’s account books, expenses, debts and state income.

While serving the king, Littlefinger invested his savings in the development of a brothel business, which later brought in some income. But one should be somewhat careful with investments in troubled times - the fate of savings depends on the political outcome of dynastic strife. So, Petyr definitely shouldn’t think about the investment opportunities of the free cities and slavers’ bay - if Daenerys Targaryen wins, these lands will undergo large-scale reconstruction. Currency investments will also not be the most successful investment idea - it is important to take into account the likelihood of a change in the monetary system in the event of the Lannister-Baratheon dynasty leaving the throne.

There are a variety of currencies in circulation in Westeros, the most popular of which are the gold dragon, silver stag, and copper penny. One golden dragon is equal to approximately $20 and 1200 rubles in our money. For comparison: Petyr Baelish made a bet on a knight's tournament in the amount of a hundred golden dragons, which could be used to buy ten barrels of expensive wine - that is, the bet was equal to 120,000 rubles. The currency in Westeros is quite unstable, this is due to the tense political situation. The smartest move given the unstable value of money in circulation is to transfer part of Littlefinger’s savings into precious metals, which back the kingdom’s currency. Gold, silver and copper will have investment value no matter the outcome of the war for the throne.

In the situation in which Petyr Baelish finds himself, you should diversify your investments - this way you can reduce the risk of losing your savings. In addition to precious metals, Petyr can engage in the acquisition of lands, which in the future will bring a small but constant profit. Part of your savings can be invested in the most stable bank on the continent - the Iron Bank of Braavos. And give part of it to the production of weapons and the extraction of Valyrian steel - this investment may turn out to be advantageous in the event of active actions from the Wall and the arrival of winter time.

To do this, he collected all the mentions of the magic currency in the series of books, writes news.mail.ru.

Let us remind you that in the world of wizards there are three types of money - gold galleons, silver shekels, and bronze knuts. One Galleon is equal to 17 Shekels, one Shekel is equal to 29 Knuts, and 493 Knuts equal one Galleon. However, the books say nothing about the relationship between wizard money and Muggle money.

To convert wizards' money into ordinary money, the user found in the books all the episodes where heroes buy some things that exist in our world. He tried to use their approximate value in American dollars to create exchange rates in the world of Harry Potter.

For example, while traveling on the Hogwarts Express, Harry Potter buys a lot of candy for 11 shekels and seven knuts. A trip on the Night Knight bus cost him 11 shekels. Three butterbeers at the Boar's Head cost six shekels.

As a result of calculations, it turned out that a knut is approximately equal to five cents, a shekel is equal to one and a half dollars, and a galleon is equal to 25 dollars.

If you convert magic money into rubles (at the Central Bank exchange rate as of February 4, 2016), then it turns out: 1 knut = 3.96 rubles; 1 shekel = 118.89 rubles; 1 galleon = 1,981.48 rubles.

Thus, it turns out that butterbeer costs about 230 rubles, and candy costs almost 1,300 rubles. You would have to pay almost 13.5 thousand rubles for a magic wand, as well as for an advanced textbook for wizards. A unicorn's horn costs about 40 thousand rubles, and its hair costs about 19 thousand. Three omniglasses, which Harry bought for his friends at the Quidditch World Cup, would cost 57 thousand rubles. The most expensive thing that appears in the Harry Potter books is the cursed necklace, its cost is more than 2.5 million rubles.