How Malfoys earned money?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 186851

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Lynda Cordova <sweenlit at ...> wrote:
>
> The Malfoys had family money. How that money was invested, etc. is an
> unanswered question.
> 
> Lynda
>

bboyminn:

True, very true, it is an unanswered question until JKR answers
it, but it is not an unspeculated question or answer. 

I think we have enough real world historical models and 
information to make a fair guess how someone like Lucius
maintained and expanded the family wealth. 

Lucius reminds me of the movie "Nicholas Nickleby" 
(Dickens 1838) with Charlie Hunnam and Jamie Bell, as well 
as Nathan Lane -

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309912/

Mean Cold Hearted Uncle Ralph, was essentially an investor. 
He took money from his friends and other investors, and 
invested in assorted business transaction, paid a bit of 
profit to his investors, and keep a lion's share for 
himself. 

Since there was no stock market, I think both Lucius and
Ralph invested directly in business deals or in facilitating
business deals. 

That, and land ownership, were the only way for a rich man 
to make money at that point in historical time. 

Steve/bboyminn