In 1626, a tribe of American Indians made a deal to sell some land.  And the results?  When a group of Dutch settlers came to the New World, America, in 1626 they settled on an island inhabited by a tribe of Indians known as the Canarsie tribe.  Well, the settlers ventured to not just occupy the land, they wanted to buy it.  So, Peter Minuit, representing the Dutch West Indian Company, approached the tribe’s leaders and bought the entire island for beads and trinkets valued at about $24.  The island?  Manhattan Island, New York.  So, here’s one interesting twist to the story.  Today, the real estate value of Manhattan Island is approximately 23 billion dollars.  If the Indians had invested those 24 dollars at 6% interest today, they would have almost 28 billion – they could buy Manhattan Island back.  WOW!