Keynes, John Maynard

John Maynard Keynes was not the type of person you would expect to ride in a motorcycle sidecar, but that's exactly what he did one morning in 1914, at least according to Zachary Carter.

Keynes somehow folded his 6'7" frame into a little ball, so that it would fit in the tiny capsule that rode alongside his friend's motorcycle. His brother-in-law had just agreed to take him to London from Cambridge, around 60 miles. 

The world of 1914 was on the brink of transformation. Europe was bustling with industrial progress and imperial grandeur, yet it was also teetering on the edge of the catastrophic Great War. This was a time when economic policies and international relations were about to be tested like never before.

Riding high on the success of Indian Currency and Finance, his first book, Keynes (Maynard, as his friends called him) had been given a Royal Commission on Indian currency, and the powers that be were duly impressed by his sharp mind and ability to apply economic theory in practical terms. 

Let’s imagine that several-hours ride for a moment. Think of a giraffe trying to get into a go-kart. 

Why was Maynard in such a hurry that day? In essence, he grasped the enormity of the situation at hand, and realized that he could have an impact on the results. 

The situation was urgent. Britain badly needed money and credit in order to pay for a new war that seemed to be enveloping most of Europe at the time. It needed to buy and sell goods to and from its allies, and these debts were going to be in foreign currency. 

Maynard was the right person for the job.

Born in 1883 to an academic family in Cambridge, Keynes showed early signs of intellectual brilliance. His father, John Neville Keynes, went by “Neville”, so John Maynard went by “Maynard.” 

Maynard’s education began at home with two very bright parents–a lecturer of economics, and a social reformer–and they made sure he had everything he needed while growing up. Ultimately, Maynard was awarded a prestigious King’s Scholarship to Eton College, a highly regarded institution. 

Keynes quickly rose to the top at Eton, where he excelled in mathematics and showed a keen interest in philosophy and the arts. This diverse range of interests laid a foundation for his later work, which would famously intertwine economic theory with broader social and philosophical contexts.

Next up for Maynard was King's College, Cambridge. Here, he delved deeper into economics, mathematics, and philosophy, influenced by the likes of Alfred Marshall and Arthur Pigou in economics, and the philosopher Bertrand Russell. Cambridge was not just a place of academic pursuit for Keynes; it was also where he developed lifelong friendships, becoming a prominent member of the intellectual group known as the Bloomsbury Group.

Keynes's transition from academia to the practical world of economics began with a stint at the India Office in London, setting him up for the successful publication of his first book. 

So, in 1914, as Europe had begun to explode into unthinkable war, Maynard found himself folded up like an umbrella and crammed into a tiny seat.

Keynes’s life was short, but incredibly consequential. I wrote a bit more about him here:

And, I’ve asked

Aaron Pek

, who runs

Value Investing Substack

to help tell the economic story of Keynsian economics, the legacy Maynard left behind for the world. Aaron knows a lot about economics and investing, and he writes well!

Go and check out Aaron’s thoughts next:

Was John Maynard Keynes Actually A Value Investor?

Did you know much about Keynes before today?