ERHVERVSMAGI? Om charlatanisme og værdiskabelse ud af den blå luft

Resumé

The author argues for the relevance of applying ethnographic theories of sociality,

magic and trickster to empirical data and discourse on contemporary economic

value creation and so-called “financial wizardry”. Salamon discusses contemporary

cases of massive financial fraud as instances of illusionism that draw on similar

social and significant mechanisms as did the performances of historical charlatans

and magicians. The article draws on publicly accessible information and media

coverage on two recent cases of substantial financial fraud, a historical analysis

of charlatanism in medieval Italy, as well as classic ethnographic theories of

magic. The argument relates the fraud cases to analyses of alchemical reasoning

and occultism and points out that charlatanism, magic illusionism and grand

financial fraud all profit from being “too good to be true” and “too cheap for the

price”. The cases are supernatural because their price and value stem from doing

“the impossible”. They seduce their audiences by the trick of the “cure all – no

risk – something out of nothing” financial performance, just as the illusionist’s

audiences are seduced by his impossible trick of pulling several large doves up

from one small hat. Salamon concludes that the “financial wizard’s” claim to

virtual, and rather Effortless, conjuring up of economic value resembles general

value creation under contemporary financial capitalism, resonating magic: The

“white magic” of contemporary financial capitalism only turns out to be defined

as “black magic” when it – after the fact - carries negative results for its investors,

audiences – and performers.

Keywords: Anthropology of management, fraud, theories of magic, theory of

value, charlatanism, trickster.