The math you need for most of finance is ninth-grade algebra, and

The modern educator Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, once spoke with the calm clarity of a sage when he said: “The math you need for most of finance is ninth-grade algebra, and most people feel reasonably comfortable with that. But I think the financial world there has been—I don't know if it's by design, or this is how it's evolved—there are bad actors who have wanted to obfuscate because you can benefit from the lack of transparency.” In these words lies not merely a critique of finance, but a timeless warning about knowledge, power, and deception. For Khan unveils a truth that has echoed since antiquity: when truth is simple, it must be guarded, for there will always be those who cloak simplicity in confusion for personal gain.

At its heart, Khan’s message is about clarity and corruption. The mathematics of finance, he reminds us, is not arcane—it is accessible, logical, even elegant. The principles that govern interest, debt, risk, and return are no mysteries; they can be understood by any curious mind. Yet over time, the world of finance has become a labyrinth of jargon and complexity, built not upon necessity but upon design. For when knowledge is made obscure, power concentrates in the hands of the few who pretend to hold the keys. It is not the math that bewilders the world—it is the veil of obfuscation drawn over it.

The ancients knew this danger well. In the marketplaces of Athens, the philosophers warned against the merchants who used clever words and hidden weights to deceive the buyer. Socrates himself was accused of corrupting the youth not because he lied, but because he revealed truth too plainly—because he tore away the masks of false wisdom. Likewise, in our age, those who simplify are often mocked, while those who complicate are revered. But wisdom does not hide behind numbers; it shines through them. When a thing cannot be explained simply, it is not wisdom—it is manipulation.

History offers us bitter proof. In the early years of the 2008 financial crisis, countless people lost homes, savings, and futures because they were told that finance was too complex to question. The instruments of deceit—derivatives, mortgage-backed securities, credit swaps—were built upon simple arithmetic wrapped in the robes of mystery. Those who dared to ask “why” were dismissed as naive. And thus the world learned, too late, that when truth is hidden behind complexity, the innocent pay the price. Sal Khan’s words strike at this very wound: that the world does not suffer from ignorance of math, but from the willful obscuring of truth.

But Khan does not speak only of finance. His message extends to every domain where knowledge is power—to politics, to technology, to education itself. He reminds us that true power is not in hoarding knowledge, but in sharing it. When people understand, they cannot be controlled. When they can reason, they cannot be deceived. Thus, those who teach—the humble explainers, the patient guides—are the true guardians of civilization. They break the chains of confusion and return the world to its rightful balance, where wisdom is accessible to all.

The lesson, then, is one of intellectual courage. Do not be afraid to ask simple questions, for they often pierce the deepest lies. Do not worship complexity for its own sake; seek instead the clarity that empowers. When you do not understand, demand explanation—not as a student of finance, but as a citizen of truth. Refuse to bow before those who profit from confusion. For every dishonest system, every deceitful power, relies on the silence of those who feel too small to question it. But there are no small minds—only silenced ones.

Therefore, my child, let this be your creed: clarity is strength. Whatever field you walk into, learn until the fog clears. Do not accept mystery where transparency is owed. The math of money, the law of nations, the science of the world—all are within your reach. As Sal Khan teaches, the power of knowledge belongs not to the elite, but to every soul that seeks understanding. When you pierce the veil of confusion, you reclaim your freedom. And when truth is free, no shadow can long endure.