Ndubuisi 'Andy' EgwimMoney Coach for Medics|Ex-NHS GP|21+ Yrs Investor| Founder, MoneyWiseDoctor.com|Helping Medics Avoid Big Money Mistakes

Isaac Newton Lost a Fortune Investing — What UK Doctors Must Learn From This

27 May 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment, Ndubuisi 'Andy' Egwim recounts how Sir Isaac Newton, famed for his scientific breakthroughs, suffered a massive financial loss during the 18th‑century South Sea Bubble. He cites Newton’s famous remark that he could calculate the motions of heavenly bodies but not the madness of people, using it to illustrate that raw intelligence does not shield an investor from crowd psychology and speculative folly. The speaker frames this historical anecdote as a cautionary investing lesson specifically aimed at UK doctors, urging them to recognize psychological biases and avoid costly financial mistakes despite their professional expertise.

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Here's the fascinating part. One of the people caught up in the bubble was Sir Isaac Newton. Yes, that Isaac Newton, the one you learn about in physics, the law of motion, the man who helped to explain gravity, one of the greatest scientific minds in human history, you know. So remember the story about the apple falling and gravity made sense to him and the world changed. Unfortunately, the South Sea Company was not Apple company IPO. It was not a brilliant business changing the world. No, it was a speculative bubble. Dressed up as an opportunity. Newton reportedly lost a fortune, you know, just from this South Sea Bubble. And afterwards, he's said to have— he's reported to have said, "I can calculate the motions of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people." That is one of the most important investing lessons ever spoken, because intelligence alone does not protect you from crowd psychology or from making costly mistakes when it comes to finances.