Download a free audiobook version of "The Richest Man in Babylon" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed Check out our full book recommendation: https://shop.ed.ted.com/products/the-richest-man-in-babylon -- In the 1600s, the Dutch East India Company employed hundreds of ships to trade goods around the globe. In order to fund their voyages, the company turned to private citizens to invest money to support trips in exchange for a share of the profits. In doing so, they unknowingly invented the world’s first stock market. So how do companies and investors use the market today? Oliver Elfenbaum explains. Lesson by Oliver Elfenbaum, directed by Tom Gran & Madeleine Grossi. Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon Follow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebook Find us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitter Peep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-does-the-stock-market-work-oliver-elfenbaum Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Lâm Nguyễn, Uirá Maíra Resende, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Adam Foreman, Jeremy Shimanek, Bethany Connor, Vivian & Gilbert Lee, Maryam Sultan, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Gabriel Balsa, Shafeeq Ansari, Norbert Orgován, Dowey Baothman, Amer Harb, Courtney Thompson, Guhten, Jordan Tang, Juan, Sid, Tracey Tobkin, emily lam, Kathryn J Hammond, Elliot Poulin, Noel Situ, Oyuntsengel Tseyen-Oidov, Latora Slydell, Sydney Evans, Victor E Karhel, Bernardo Paulo, Eysteinn Guðnason, Andrea Feliz, Natalia Rico, Josh Engel, Bárbara Nazaré, Gustavo Mendoza, Zhexi Shan, Hugo Legorreta, PnDAA, Sandra Tersluisen, Ellen Spertus, Fabian Amels, sammie goh, Mattia Veltri, Quentin Le Menez, Yuh Saito, Heather Slater, Dr Luca Carpinelli, Janie Jackson, Christophe Dessalles and Arturo De Leon.