"Derrière chaque grande fortune se cache un grand crime"
— Honore de Balzac
Simplified Meaning:
When people become extremely wealthy, it's often because they did something wrong or dishonest. For instance, think about a big business that sells a lot of products. Sometimes, the company might use unfair practices like underpaying workers or harming the environment to save money and make huge profits. This kind of behavior is not fair and hurts many people, even though it makes the business owner rich. Consider a historical example: some rich families in the past got their wealth through the slave trade, which was a terrible crime against humanity. They made money by treating people as property and forcing them to work without pay, which caused a lot of suffering. For someone wanting to apply this idea in their life, they should be cautious and think carefully about how people become rich. It's important to work hard and earn money honestly rather than taking shortcuts or cheating others. By being fair and ethical, a person can be proud of their success and know they did it the right way.