Smaug’s Fortune: Unveiling the Wealth of Middle-Earth’s Richest Character in LOTR

The Dwarves of Middle-earth are well known for their love of wealth in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and the treasure trove of Erebor was no different. The dragon Smaug, who accumulated a fortune surpassing that of any other living entity in Middle-earth, was drawn to this extraordinary wealth and became envious.

\However, figuring out how much gold is worth in Middle-earth and how much of Smaug’s treasure is really in his possession is a difficult task because of these unanswered questions.

Also Read: The 10 Most Dangerous Places in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Universe

Even while a lot of fans base their assumptions about Smaug’s wealth on conjecture, a 2011 Forbes piece tried to tackle the subject with practical considerations. This hypothetical endeavour shed light on Smaug’s financial situation and estimated his riches to be in the billions of millions. J.R.R. Tolkien gave Smaug’s character characteristics evocative of the mythical dragon from the poem, taking inspiration from Old English epics like Beowulf.

Similar to its literary equivalent, Smaug embodies the archetype of the avaricious dragon by jealously guarding its wealth.

Smaug’s hoard takes imaginative interpretation and estimation to determine its exact value. To calculate the quantity of Smaug’s hoard, Forbes’ investigation first measured his height. The hoard was then evaluated using actual gold values. Fans, however, criticized this estimate, claiming it undervalued Smaug’s actual riches, especially when it came to rare jewels like the Arkenstone.

There was also conjecture on the worth of the hoard’s Dwarven armour and strewn jewels. The Arkenstone presented a particular difficulty because of its scarcity and importance in Tolkien’s story. Smaug’s fortune was estimated by Forbes to be in the billions, comparable to the wealth of other fictitious tycoons like Scrooge McDuck.

Fans continue to disagree, with some claiming that Smaug’s hoard may be worth significantly more than Forbes estimates. Important information is still unclear, such as Erebor’s actual wealth and its residual resources. Still, Smaug is undoubtedly one of the richest personalities in Middle-earth, which is a credit to Tolkien’s ability to create memorable and famous adversaries.

– Farheen Ali