A Brief History of the Motley Fool
by Keith Pelczarski ([email protected])

August 1994 -- David and Tom Gardner arrive in Virginia aboard the FoolFlower, a small ship laden with computers, annual reports, and juggling paraphernalia. Native America Onliners, in a gesture of friendship, sit down with them for a feast and the discussion of stocks. The brothers take up residence in a small shed, and the AOLers teach them to grow corn and publish content. The winters were hard in those early days, but before long, the ranks of the Fool had swollen beyond the bounds of the humble shed.

June 1995 -- The presence of Napoleon's French army in the Western Foolish foothills begins to alarm the brothers Gardner, who make overtures of an alliance to the British. Sensing that Napoleon may be willing to negotiate, Robert Livingston and James Monroe were dispatched to dicker with French foreign minister Talleyrand over the price of the Louisiana territory. With their shrewd negotiating skills, Livingston and Monroe secure Louisiana for $15 million (about $0.04 per acre), and persuade the French to throw in some office space at 918 Prince Street in Alexandria, Virginia.

August 1995 -- On the first anniversary of the Fool, in a gesture of goodwill, the Greenhouse presents the Fool with the Foosball Table of Liberty. It arrives aboard the French frigate Isere, in 350 individual pieces packed in 214 crates. When fully assembled, this awe-inspiring structure stands 305 feet tall. The Foosball of Liberty itself is larger than a Volkswagen Beetle, and weighs over a ton.

January 1996 -- Rushing to the aid of an investing public in the depths of "The Great Confusion", the Gardners pen The Motley Fool Investment Guide. Speaking to a gathering of Fools, Tom Gardner promised, "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the individual investor." Following the release of this tome, several new Foolish agencies are created, including the Foolish Agricultural Administration (FAAA), the Jester Valley Authority (JVA), the Foolish Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Foolish Exchange Commission (FEC), and the Foolish Emergency Relief Administration (FERA).

August 1996 -- To celebrate the Motley Fool biennial, thousands of Fools congregate around the Foosball Table of Liberty to witness a pyrotechnic display of epic proportions. Clad in bell-bottomed red, white, and blue motley, the crowd described the scene as "far out" and "Dyn-O-MITE!" Foolish historians are hard at work in an attempt to translate.

April 1997 -- The Fool Pathfinder lands at 123 North Pitt Street in Alexandria, Virginia, and the Jester Sojourner begins exploring the fourth floor. Scientists in Fool Labs are eagerly analyzing pictures of such wonders as Mount Pinball, the Ping Pong Plain, and the Refrigerator of Never-Ending Beverages. There has been some speculation that forms hunched over rows of monitors may actually be some strange forms of life. Scientists debate their next move.

August 1997 -- Fool scientists have determined that a Fool must be sent to 123 North Pitt Street to explore, and confirm or deny that these forms are actually alive. One lucky Foolish ad explorer will be sent to investigate, could it be you? Well, it could be -- enter our contest and you could win an adventure to the mysterious world of Fool HQ!

NEXT: The Foolish Anniversary Message Board

© Copyright 1995-2000, The Motley Fool. All rights reserved. This material is for personal use only. Republication and redissemination, including posting to news groups, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of The Motley Fool. The Motley Fool is a registered trademark and the "Fool" logo is a trademark of The Motley Fool, Inc. Contact Us