He says: 'Whether the currency a century from now is based on gold, seashells, shark teeth, or a piece of paper (as today), people will be willing to exchange a

He says: 'Whether the currency a century from now is based on gold, seashells, shark teeth, or a piece of paper (as today), people will be willing to exchange a couple of minutes of their daily labor for a Coca-Cola or some See's peanut brittle ... Our country's businesses will continue to efficiently deliver goods and services wanted by our citizens. Metaphorically, these commercial "cows" will live for centuries and give ever greater quantities of "milk" to boot.' But how many companies have ever survived for centuries? Yes, centuries from now there still will be companies producing goods and services, but they are highly unlikely to be the same companies you put your money in. E.g: 'The average lifespan of a company listed in the S&P 500 index of leading US companies has decreased by more than 50 years in the last century, from 67 years in the 1920s to just 15 years today, according to Professor Richard Foster from Yale University.' 'Professor Foster estimates that by 2020, more than three-quarters of the S&P 500 will be companies that we have not heard of yet.' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16611040 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16611040