It’s true ! It’s cheaper to own a share in a racehorse with a leading trainer in Sydney or Melbourne than to own a pet cat or dog !
Leading Australian Economist
Stephen Koukoulas (aka The Kouk) is a long term client of
Dynamic Syndications.
Stephen Koukoulas
He is renowned for being a leader in his field of expertise and is hailed or feared by business leaders and politicians alike, for his grasp of what makes our Australian economy tick.
He’s an economic visionary. With over 30 year’s experience he developed a reputation for being frank, honest and open when answering many of today’s economic issues which don’t have black or white answers.
The Kouk’s Resume:
Having graduated, he worked within the Commonwealth Treasury for 8 years before moving to Citibank to become their
Chief Economist at just 33 years old.
A market identified
wizz kid, he moved from this post to the Australian Financial Review where he revelled in the freedoms of being able to “stir the pot” with fearless analysis, opinions, confrontational articles and making bold calls about the markets which caused the shiny pant conservative brigade stress, that their boring predicable ways were out of touch with an evolving marketplace.
Stephen enjoyed his time challenging conservative thinkers however the lure of the market called him back to the trading desks, where he joined TD Securities and would represent them in Australia then moving to London before returning to Australia in 2010.
He re-joined the Australian Treasury part-time as a macroeconomic adviser on financial markets in the post Global Financial Crisis, where he became an adviser for the then government’s treasurer Wayne Swan on such matters as the high Aussie Dollar, the Greek Debt crisis, and the fractured Australian markets and how these matters would all impact on the Australian economy.
After the return of the Labour government in 2010, Stephen accepted the roll of economic policy advisor to the Prime Minister Julia Gillard where he remained for 10 months before he left that position and created his own business named Market Economics, an advisory service that prepares independent tailored analysis and advice for clients who need to convert economic data into financial market policy or to identify risk.
Stephen has briefed current Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on crucial economic policy issues; presented to over 35 central banks around the globe, delivers keynote speeches to leading corporations, small businesses, retail investors and Year 12 HSC students alike. He is the “go to man” for the ABC, Sky Business, Sky News, radio stations and Network Ten’s The Project.
Stephen’s gift is to be able to read and understand economic impact and deliver what is happening in a user friendly, easily understandable format, that everyday citizens can relate to and absorb.
So, when
Stephen (The Kouk) Koukoulas say’s something about economic data – Australians take notice.
Therefore when The Kouk explains how
it’s cheaper to own a 5% share in a racehorse than to own a pet cat or dog, naturally he has done the figure work, applied the assumptions and identified the strengths and weaknesses to conclude this statement to be factually correct.
New Book:
Recently I was presented with a copy of his New Book titled
“MYTH BUSTING ECONOMICS – A NO-NONSENSE GUIDE TO YOUR MONEY, YOUR BUSINESS AND THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY.”
Published by Wiley & Sons Australia, in book form and as a e-book, it is a fantastic, easy read that should be on the desk or bookcase of any person that is interested in business and the subtle ways that Government policy impacts your wealth and resources. It’s an easy, light ready in typical The Kouk style.
However most importantly, on behalf of the
Australian Thoroughbred Industry, The Kouk took it upon himself to investigate the pro’s and con’s of racehorse ownership.
The Kouk (2nd from left - tan jacket)
He delved into the costs and returns, strengths and weaknesses of racehorse ownership and compared it to what the majority of citizens could identify with – a pet.
Not everything about economics is boring but everything boring is in economics.
The Kouk understands that – so in
Chapter 10 of his book titled “YOUR FUN” - It’s a chapter that identifies along the way to financial security and prosperity , it’s important to have fun, do nice things, spend time and money on things you want to do.
He identifies people have different interests and wishes – Holidays, shoes, clothes, technology, art, concerts, restaurants and racehorses – the list is endless.
He identifies by changing spending patterns you can discover nicer ways to spend your money.
For example – A coffee a day is $1,500 a year after tax. So he rightly highlights that a coffee from your favourite café every second day would pay for two pairs of $400 shoes a year ! Get the picture – it’s not right or wrong, just identifiable pro’s and con’s.
Stephen Koukoulas (The Kouk - Tan Jacket - 3rd from left)
The Kouk then goes into chapter and verse about the pro’s and con’s about owning a 5% share in a racehorse is cheaper than a pet cat or dog.
The difference is simple enough but the important factor is a racehorse can with luck, deliver you great wealth. A pet cat or dog certainly can’t.
The facts and figures in the book in Chapter 10 about racehorses are straight forward, easily understood, easy to follow and make the utmost common sense. After all the calculations are projected – the author concludes:
“Suddenly it is starting to look like it’s cheaper to own a share in a racehorse than to own a pet. Who would have thought that !”
I am not going to highlight any more from the book because the book itself is fabulous reading.
What I am able to do is recommend it to everyone that has any concept and desire to put a light entertaining read into their hands and nod their head in agreement with what they are reading for several hours and come away enthralled, enlightened and with a greater concept of market forces, facts and figures than before they started – and with a little luck - the tools to lodge a
debate with your family, friends and work colleagues that in fact “Its cheaper to own a share in a racehorse than to own a pet cat or dog.
Congratulations to Stephen Koukoulas – A job well done !
Follow his blog at www.thekouk.com