So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish

I recently resigned from Sprott. Tuesday May 31st was my last day. I’d like to share the goodbye letter I sent to my clients.

Are you familiar with Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy ‘trilogy of six’ books? It’s a sci-fi comedy series and in the story all the dolphins leave earth just before it’s demolished to put in a hyperspace bypass. As they're leaving the planet they say “so long, and thanks for all the fish.”

I was with Sprott for over 10 years. It’s been a wonderful experience. The Sprott office in Carlsbad is relatively small (30ish people) and has always had a family office kind of vibe, including pot lucks around major holidays. I’m from Calgary so I would host a stampede breakfast every July. I will miss those times but I won’t miss cooking 16 pounds of bacon in the blistering sun! My lasagna has become somewhat of an urban legend that I suspect will represent the legacy I leave behind. My colleagues have become a second family to me. Even though I moved to Cayman Islands to work remotely a few years ago, I still felt connected to the office, and still came back to visit. Only now is it sinking in that I will no longer be a part of that family any more.

I want to give special thanks to my clients for your business and trusting me all these years. I would not be in the position I am without you and I am sincerely grateful for it. Over the years, some clients have developed into fantastic friends and I look forward to many more years of friendship. I’ve enjoyed all the conversations we’ve had about how to navigate these unprecedented times and I expect to continue having them with you.

To be clear, I am not saying ‘so long’ to my clients or anyone else reading this. I am saying ‘so long’ to Sprott and starting my own asset management company.

I will send out more details about it soon. For now just know that I am going to do what I am passionate about and I think you will find it very interesting.

In the book, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, an advanced alien race built a super computer called Deep Thought. They built this computer to find the answer to the ultimate question “what is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?” After several million years of computing, the ultimate answer was…

42

You can imagine the disappointment from the characters in the book. However, the genius of Douglas Adams is in his subtle creativity.

Computers can only understand numbers. ASCII is a code of numbers representing every character on your keyboard. In ASCII, number 42 responds to the * (asterisk). In computer programming the asterisk represents a wild card, a variable that can mean anything you want. Therefore the real answer to “what is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?” is “whatever you want it to be.”

I just happen to be 42 years old. Ever since my birthday in October I’ve been thinking, what do I want my life to be?

I’ve come up with an answer and I am going to pursue it. I will have lots more to share on this subject in the weeks to come so stay tuned.

It’s been an honor working at Sprott. I wish the company and my colleagues all the success in the future.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Thank you for reading.

I’m the founder of Youxia Crypto, an asset management company specializing in crypto. I can help you buy and sell precious metals too. I believe crypto is more than just about trying to make money, it’s about creating freedom for oneself and the rest of the world. I’m a contrarian, voluntaryist, and proponent of Austrian Economics. I enjoy downhill skiing, scuba diving, live music, yoga, and traveling.

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