The Secrets of Indiana Jones' Success are the Same Reasons for Han Solo's Failures

Indiana Jones and Han Solo are certainly both renegades. However, in the midst of all of their swashbuckling adventures, they each have been quietly amassing fortunes for themselves. While Indiana Jones has demonstrated tireless concern over the years for the preservation of the relics and marvelous artifacts that he has supplied to most of the major museums of the United States and overseas, he has provided this service at a considerable cost -- frequently creating bidding wars from which only he walks away the winner. Han Solo, on the other hand, has been very pleased in the last couple of decades to realize very healthy returns on a series of shrewd investments that he once made based on the advice of Obi Wan Kenobi; his holdings in LightsaberSolutions alone enabled him to retire at 45, and even to put his children through college.

But many insiders are aware that Solo tends to make risky gambles on the market that often jeopardize the outlook of his portfolio. Without special instruction by Kenobi, Solo is often accused of flying blind. In recent years, stock picks by his colleague Chewbacca have even often outperformed Solo's picks.

In fact, just last August, stocks for ChewbaccaCorp. split, and they are expected to pay a handsome dividend in the upcoming quarter. Han Solo Enterprises, by contrast, has chosen to reinvest its dividends in the last 3 quarters for research and development, disappointing stockholders. Responding in a recent interview to the attractive growth rate of Chewbacca's diversified holdings, Solo replied with only four words: "Laugh it up, fuzzball!"

While Han Solo oozes with charismatic chutzpah, Indiana Jones aims to manage his finances intelligently.

Credit: Jean-Marc Bouju

Copyright: AP photo