Who Creates Money—and Who Profits From It?

Who actually creates our money, and who gets rich off it? An economic historian unmasks wealth over drinks. Money dictates modern life. We work for it, save it, spend it, and plan our entire futures around it. But what actually is money? Is it a tangible thing, or just a shared social agreement? Who creates it, who really profits from it, and who ends up paying the price? Most of us assume money emerged naturally as a clever replacement for bartering cows and grain. But the true history of money making tells a very different story—one rooted in imperial debt, power struggles, banking empires, and state control. Join economic historian and UBC professor Dr. Hicham Safieddine at Bimini’s for a journey through the forgotten origins of currency. From debt ledgers in ancient Babylon and Pharaoh-ruled Egypt to Medieval Italian banking syndicates, modern fiat, and the turbulent rise of crypto, Dr. Safieddine unmasks how financial systems were engineered, who holds the reins today, and what it means for the future of human wealth. Every Sip Smarter talk includes a 45-minute lecture, a fun pub trivia round, and an open audience Q&A — all over drinks. DATE Tuesday, December 1st, 2026 LOCATION Bimini's, 2010 W 4th Ave, Vancouver (Kitsilano) TIME Doors 6:00 PM | Talk 7:00 PM SPEAKER One of Canada's leading scholars on financial history, Dr. Hicham Safieddine is Canada Research Chair in the History of the Modern Middle East and Associate Professor of History at the University of British Columbia. He is a scholar of financial systems, political economy, and author of Banking on the State: The Financial Foundations of Lebanon, with writings featured in The Toronto Star, Al-Jazeera English, The Monthly Review, and Le Monde Diplomatique. “The only thing better than learning is the conversation after.”