Takashi Suzuki (politician)

Takashi Suzuki (鈴木 隆, Suzuki Takashi, 1882 - 1978) was a Japanese speculator-turned politician.

Born to a peasant family in Chiba Prefecture, Suzuki became an elementary school teacher after graduating from a normal school. His uncle's success in the booming stock market during the Russo-Japanese War interested him in equity investment. He left teaching to become a market speculator at age 28. In the market crash of 1920, he earned approximately three million yen by short-selling of stocks, when the average monthly salary for college graduates was no more than forty yen.^[1]

Suzuki successfully ran for the Lower House election in 1920. Backed by the Rikken Seiyūkai, he was reelected for five consecutive terms.

References

• Nabeshima, Takaaki (2005). "鈴木隆: 小学校教師から大富豪へ". 相場ヒーロー伝説 (in Japanese). Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shinsha. ISBN 978-4-309-90654-6.