Our name is an homage to the one character in Shakespearean literature -- the court jester -- who could speak the truth to the king and queen without having his head lopped off. ("A fool, a fool, I met a fool i' the forest, a motley fool," says Jacques in Act II, scene VII of As You Like It.)
The Fools of yore weren't simply stand-up comics sporting belled jester caps - they entertained the court with humor that instructed as it amused.
More importantly, the Fool was never afraid to question conventional wisdom, particularly when popular thought was detrimental to the kingdom's people.
The Motley Fool’s purpose is to make the world smarter, happier, and richer. We consider everyone who is on this journey with us to be a Fool, in the best possible sense of the word.