My grandfather owned an oil and gas company, so for my 12th birthday he bought me 20 shares of it. The company's value has risen by ridiculous amount, so I get a nice check in the mail every 6 months. Good stuff.
That being said, I will never invest my OWN money in the stock market, ever. The fact that the economy is kept intact by speculative buying from a madhouse in downtown New York is absurd, almost terrifying. I just don't see the "fun" of it all, but then again I was never into slot machines either. If I ever go to Vegas it'll be for Wayne Newton and the showgirls.
